Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
Photo Credit: Thom Kennedy '21 Instagram - @thomkphoto
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – JJ Wilkes blasted a two-run homer along with five RBIs total to highlight the Brevard College Tornados (6-22, 1-18 USAS) in its doubleheader matchup against the Methodist Monarchs (23-6, 13-4 USAS), who are ranked 21st nationally in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 poll.
The Tornados held a lead for five and a half innings over the Monarchs in game one before surrendering their lead in a 12-4 final. Methodist led the whole way in a tight, 6-2 decision in the second game of the Saturday afternoon doubleheader, which was rescheduled earlier in the week due to the threat of inclement weather.
GAME ONE
Junior RHP Kross Robinson (0-6) earned the starting nod for the Tornados in the front end of the doubleheader. Robinson lasted five and two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs on four hits, with only three being earned. Robinson walked eight batters and struck out two Monarchs in his start.
Wilkes lifted the Tornados with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, BC's second long ball of the 2019 season. Wilkes wrapped up game one with an impressive 3-for-4 outing at the plate, tallying a run and three RBIs to go with his first career home run.
Jason Jucker (3-for-4) and Brae Wooten (2-for-5) rounded out BC's multi-hit efforts, as the Tornados recorded 12 hits in total.
Following back-to-back scoreless innings by both sides, the Tornados broke through with a two-run third frame. Following a Wooten one-out single followed by Donny Carsillo drawing a walk, Jucker singled up the middle to bring Wooten to the plate. After the second out was recorded, Wilkes picked up his first RBI of the afternoon by singling to right-center field, scoring Carsillo.
Neither side mustered a run in the fourth inning before a big offensive inning in the fifth. With two outs and Carsillo on base after a double, Wilkes stepped in and drilled a two-run homer to left field, extending BC's advantage over nationally-ranked Methodist to 4-0.
The Monarchs' offense was sparked in the bottom of the fifth inning by an Alex Kachler two-RBI double. Methodist scored once more on an RBI groundout, trimming BC's lead to 4-3.
Methodist took advantage of a key BC throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning to plate four more runs, taking a 7-4 lead over the Tornados.
The Monarchs plated two more in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI sacrifice-bunt and a double steal, growing their late lead to a 9-4 margin.
Methodist added three more insurance runs to cap off its 12-4 win in the bottom of the eighth frame with an RBI double and a two-run homer.
GAME TWO
Sophomore RHP Ben Melton (1-4) got the start in the second game for the Tornados, lasting eight innings of eight-hit, six-run ball, with four runs being earned. Melton struck out three batters in the process.
Wilkes tallied two RBIs for BC in the top of the fourth inning with a two-RBI double, which were Brevard's only two runs of the contest.
All told, seven different Tornado hitters collected base hits in Brevard's seven-hit effort in game two.
The Monarchs used a three-run third inning to take the early advantage before Wilkes' two-RBI double drew the Tornados within one run, 3-2. Methodist struck back in the bottom half of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to grow its lead back up to a 4-2 margin.
The Monarchs tacked on all of the insurance that they would need in the fifth and sixth innings, swelling their lead to a 6-2 gap. Methodist used a leadoff triple coupled with a throwing error to plate a run in the fifth, followed by an RBI groundout in the sixth inning.
Methodist starting pitcher Tristen Luck (7-0) lasted seven innings of three-hit, two-run ball before handing the ball over to Thomas Dean, who shut the Tornados down for two innings.
BC and Methodist will face off tomorrow in the series-finale scheduled for 1 p.m. at Armstrong-Shelley Field in Fayetteville, N.C.
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