BUENA VISTA, Va. Methodist University baseball kicked off its three-game series at Southern Virginia with a Friday doubleheader, earning a 7-3 win in game one before falling 4-0 in the nightcap at Charlie Manuel Field.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: Methodist def. Southern Virginia, 7–3; Southern Virginia def. Methodist, 4–0
Records: Methodist 26-12 (15-5 USA South), Southern Virginia 14-22 (10-10)
Location: Charlie Manuel Field; Buena Vista, Virginia
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- Both teams threatened to score in the first inning. Methodist had the bases loaded with one out, while Southern Virginia had runners on first and second, also with one out. The starting pitchers, Kyle Molivas (MU) and Zack Geertsen (SVU), managed to escape their respective jams, preserving a scoreless opening frame.
- In the second inning, the Monarchs scored the first run of the ballgame. Austin Rinzel had himself a leadoff single before a stolen base and an error advanced him to third. Rinzel then scored on an RBI groundout by Israel Ortiz.
- Additional runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings pushed the Methodist lead to 4–0. A successful squeeze bunt by Banks Engle scored Blake Freeman in third, then a couple of innings later, Brandon Mauger came around to score on a Tristen Melvin RBI single. In the sixth, Ortiz produced his second RBI of the game following a solo home run over the right field fence.
- After Rinzel plated another run for the Monarchs, on a Parker Evans double in the eighth inning, the Knights tallied three runs to cut the deficit down to two, 5–3. All the runs were unearned due to a couple of Methodist fielding errors.
- The Monarchs made it a four-run game, 7–3, again with two insurance runs in the ninth. Methodist filled the bases following a base hit, a walk, and an error. A Caleb Rogers' sacrifice fly, followed by a bunt single from Engle, in back-to-back at-bats scored the two runs.
- Pitcher Jackson Kuhn, who came in relief during the eighth, then shut down Southern Virginia to seal the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- The first few innings of the second game were quiet as each team had just one hit, until the Knights took advantage of a Methodist miscue in the third to score the opening run. After a leadoff single by Robert Stempin and a follow-up base knock by Marcelino Leonardo Jr, an error in center field by the Monarchs allowed the run to score. A wild pitch later in the inning plated the second run of the frame.
- Southern Virginia extended its lead, 4–0, in the seventh inning on a two-RBI single by Garrett Stauffer, driving in Seth Lloyd and Geertsen.
- Methodist had their best scoring opportunity in the seventh, with runners on second and third, and no outs, but three straight outs ended the threat.
STAT FACTS
- The Monarchs had four batters who combined for three hits on the day: Mauger, Melvin, Rogers, and Rinzel. In game one, Engle and Ortiz led Methodist with two RBI each.
- In their final starts of the regular season, Molivas and Ian Swanson pitched well. Molivas went 7.2 innings, allowed three runs (zero earned), and struck out four Knights, while game two starter, Swanson, tossed six innings, allowed two runs (one earned), and registered five punch-outs.
UP NEXT
Methodist will look to secure the series win when the two teams meet again for the rubber match on Saturday, April 26, with first pitch scheduled for Noon.
