FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. After an electric start to the series on Friday, the Methodist baseball team competed twice more with Southern Virginia University on Saturday, dropping a close first game of the afternoon to the Knights before scoring a run-rule victory in the finale.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: Southern Virginia def. Methodist, 10–8; Methodist def. Southern Virginia, 10–0 (7 Inn.)
Records: Methodist 6–11 (2–1 USA South), Southern Virginia 3–14 (1–2 USA South)
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
After a Zack Geertsen double scored two runs for Southern Virginia in the first frame, the Monarchs immediately answered in the bottom of the inning with a pair of RBI doubles by
Blake Freeman and
Jackson Kuhn. In the next inning, back-to-back singles by
Israel Ortiz and Freeman each drove in a run, giving Methodist a 4–2 lead. That didn't last long though, as the Knights produced a six-run frame in the top of the third, with three runs coming off a homer to left field by Garrett Stauffer.
The Monarchs played from behind the rest of the way, adding one run in the fourth before giving up runs to Southern Virginia in the fifth and sixth. Methodist scored three more in total, but it wouldn't be enough to catch up.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
After
Sean Jennison made quick work of the Knights in the top of the first, Rinzel and
Brandon Mauger led off for the Monarchs with back-to-back singles in the bottom of the inning. With two runners on, Ortiz stepped up and crushed a ball over the right-field wall, putting Methodist in front 3–0. In the next inning,
Kade Bell reached base with two outs, then Rinzel blasted a ball into the left-field trees for his second homerun of the weekend.
With Methodist leading 5–0, Ortiz and Freeman began the bottom of the third with consecutive doubles. After a single by Kuhn,
Parker Evans joined in on the double party, driving in two runs to make the score 8–0.
Ethan Golemo and
Bronson Shaikh both singled next to give Methodist six straight hits to start the frame, with the ninth run of the ballgame crossing home on Shaikh's hit. Run number 10 was secured on a Mauger single, which capped off a five-run inning for the home team.
Jennison held the Knights to just one hit in the fourth, then
Clay Pridgen tossed the next two innings, allowing just a single runner on base.
Dalton Juden took the mound for the seventh, needing to face only four batters to finish off the shutout for the Methodist pitching staff.
STAT FACTS
Rinzel batted 6-for-9 on the day, boosting his batting average to a .543 on the season. The leadoff man came around to score four times in the two games, including on his homerun.
Ortiz had the second-most hits on the day for Methodist, batting 5-for-8 with four runs and a team-high five RBIs.
UP NEXT
The Monarchs are away from home next, traveling to Brevard College for a three-game series beginning with two games on Saturday, March 21. Game one of the afternoon is set to begin at noon.
