FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. A three-run blast in the seventh inning proved to be the difference maker in a 7–3 loss for the Methodist baseball team on Friday, as the Monarchs came up short against Keene State College during the first matchup of their three-game series.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: Keene State def. Methodist, 7–3
Records: Methodist 2-6, Keene State 1-0
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Jackson Kuhn looked solid on the mound, keeping the Owls scoreless in the first two innings. Two hits in the top of the third drove in a run for Keene State, but the Monarchs answered in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff double by
Ethan Golemo and an RBI single from
Austin Rinzel.
A walk and two more hits in the top of the fourth allowed the Owls to score another run, and they produced a third run in the top of the fifth before leaving a trio of baserunners stranded. Kuhn was able to work himself out of the bases-loaded, one-out situation by striking out a batter and forcing another to foul out. After a two-strikeout frame for Kuhn in the top of the sixth, Methodist used a couple of Keene State defensive errors to their advantage, scoring two runs to tie the score at 3–3.
In the top of the seventh, Kuhn gave up singles to the first two batters, then was tagged with a three-run shot to right field. With the Monarchs down 6–3,
Bryce Mauger entered for his first collegiate pitching appearance and was able to get the first three batters he faced out (including one via strikeout). Mauger struck out one in the eighth as part of a three-up, three-down frame. After conceding one run in the ninth, Mauger fanned another batter, ending his outing with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched with just one hit and one earned run to his credit. However, Methodist was unable to bring any more runs across the plate.
STAT FACTS
The Monarchs tallied seven hits, with Rinzel,
Israel Ortiz and
Blake Freeman all accounting for two apiece.
UP NEXT
Methodist and Keene State will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. Around five minutes after the conclusion of the first game, there will be a ring ceremony to honor the 2025 USA South Championship-winning baseball team.
