FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Brevard College baseball team (17-11, 7-4 USA South) fell in a pair of close contests to nationally-ranked no. 18 Methodist University (23-5, 9-2 USAS) on Monday evening at Armstrong-Shelley Field In Fayetteville, North Carolina.
After BC held on to a one-run lead through the first five innings in game one, Methodist took advantage of a defensive miscue in the bottom of the sixth and plate two runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Monarchs added an insurance score in the bottom of the eighth to seal the series-opening win, 3-1.
Both teams combined for 10 runs through the first two innings as BC held an early 6-4 lead in game two. The Monarchs clawed back with a run in the bottom of the sixth before surging for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 10-6 lead and flip the script late. Brevard staged a two-out rally after a two-RBI single and an error got the Tornados within one run and two runners in scoring position, but Methodist forced a strikeout to escape with the one-run victory, 10-9.
With the victories, Methodist took sole position of first place in the USA South Conference, as the two sides will meet in the series finale on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
GAME ONE – NO. 18 METHODIST 3, BREVARD 1
Trenten Anderson (3-4) took the mound for the Tornados and impressed in his five and 2/3 innings of work, allowing seven hits and two runs with no earned runs while striking out six batters. Cesar Rodriguez came on in relief and also did not allow an earned run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts for the junior left-handed pitcher.
Methodist sent William St. Leger to the mound to start the game and he lasted four innings allowing three hits and an unearned run with four strikeouts. The pitcher of decision for the Monarchs was Kyle Molivas (2-1), who closed out the game with five innings of shutout relief and four strikeouts while only allowing one Tornado hit as BC's offense was held to just one run on four hits throughout game number one.
Logan Clark notched the only multi-hit game for BC in the series opener, while Clark and Blake Burchett each stole a base. Brevard was hampered in game one by four costly defensive errors, as all three runs surrendered by the Tornados went down as unearned due to the defensive mistakes.
The Tornados were able to get on the board first after loading the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth as Davis Bryson out a ball in play and reached on a fielding error by the Monarchs. The error allowed Cale Oehler to come across to score giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
A muffed throw error by the Tornados to begin the bottom of the sixth inning proved costly as the Monarchs scored a pair of two-out runs to take the lead, 2-1.
Brevard's offense was shut down from there aside from a Clark two-out single in the top of the eighth, as the Monarchs added an insurance run after another Tornado error allowed a two-out run in the bottom of the inning. Molivas sat down BC in order in the top of the ninth inning to wrap up the series-opening victory for Methodist, 3-1.
GAME TWO – NO. 18 METHODIST 10, BREVARD 9
The offensive tides turned in game number two for the Tornados, as Brevard scored a total of six runs through the first two innings to set the tone early. Five Tornados racked up multi-hit performances, including Lucas Granata who totaled a career-best 4-for-5 performance with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Clark went 3-for-4 while Burchett went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and another stolen base. Zach Allison added a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Luke Morton went 2-for-4 with a pair of walks drawn, a run scored, and an RBI. Oehler added a double as BC racked up 15 hits offensively.
Freshman southpaw Connor Crosby (5-1) got the start for the Tornados, lasting seven-plus innings with nine hits and seven earned runs allowed while logging four strikeouts. Fellow freshman Jacob Frizzell got three outs in the eighth inning for Brevard, allowing two hits and an earned run with a strikeout.
Methodist's Charles Jordan had a team-high 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored, while Caleb Greene (double), Jacob Austin (triple), and Wesley Hall (triple) all logged extra-base hits for the Monarchs.
The Methodist pitching staff settled in after its starter allowed six earned runs in just an inning-plus of work. Tanner Freeland and Brandon Humphreys held down the middle part of the game shutting Brevard out in five innings combined of work. Brice Herring (1-0) got the win after two innings of work surrendering two hits and two runs, and Chase Carroll earned a save after putting out BC's late-game rally in the top of the ninth with a critical strikeout to end the game with two runners in scoring position.
Clark singled on a bunt and then an errant throw from the Monarchs allowed Burchett to come across and score in the top of the first. Oehler followed up immediately with a two-RBI double to make it a 3-0 game before Granata doubled down the left-field line to bring Oehler across and push the lead to a 4-0 margin.
Methodist got a run back on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, but BC added to its lead with two RBI singles in the top of the second as the Tornados held a game-high 6-1 lead.
The Monarchs started to flip momentum in the bottom half of the inning as the Monarchs scored on an RBI single, a double steal attempt, and an RBI triple to cut the deficit to two runs, 6-4.
Both pitching staffs settled in the next few innings before the Monarchs trimmed the BC lead to one run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice bunt RBI that made it a 6-5 contest.
After a scoreless seventh inning, Crosby was sent back out to work the bottom of the eighth for the Tornados. Metodist played small ball to perfection, recording four straight bunt hits in the inning. An RBI bunt single, a balk, a sacrifice fly, and a two-RBI triple led to a five-run game-changing inning for the Monarchs who now held a four-run lead with just three outs left to get, 10-6.
Brevard did not go down without a fight, however, as Frankie Vasquez drew a leadoff walk followed by a Granata single. After two pinch-hit outs from the Tornados. Allison hit a two-RBI single to right field to cut the deficit in half, 10-8. Burchett followed suit by drawing a walk and a throwing error on Luke Morton's at-bat allowed Allison to score and placed Burchett at third and Morton at second with the Tornados trailing by just one run, 10-9. However, Carroll struck out Clark swinging to end the late two-out Tornado rally and give the Monarchs the USA South series win.
The two sides close out the three-game series on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
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-BC-