FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (17-12, 7-5 USA South) fell in another tight contest to no. 16 Methodist University (23-5, 10-2 USAS), as the Monarchs shut out the Tornados 1-0 to sweep the USA South Conference series.
Brevard left a total of eight runners on base, including six in scoring position as BC was unable to break through offensively vs. the Monarchs' pitching staff.
Sophomore third baseman Frankie Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Luke Morton also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Logan Clark also logged a double as BC racked up four extra-base hits.
Cameron Cook got the start on the mound for the Tornados, pitching three innings of shutout baseball. Jacob Thompson (3-2) pitched impressively in relief for the Tornados, hurling five innings off one-run ball allowing just three hits with three strikeouts.
Methodist's Andrew Baur chucked six innings scoreless on the mound for the Monarchs with five strikeouts, while Ian Bingham (3-1) earned the win with three shutout frames. Caleb Greene (2-for-3) and Stancil Bowles (2-for-2) had four of Methodist's five hits in the game, as Bowles drove in the lone run of the contest on an RBI bunt single.
Vasquez hit his first double of the game in the top of the second with one out, but a groundout and a strikeout ended the scoring chance. BC's defense turned inning-ending double plays in the bottom of the first and second innings to keep the Monarchs off the board early.
Bowles singled, was moved over on a sacrifice bunt, and got on third base with one out via a passed ball, but Cook forced two consecutive groundouts to keep the runner 90 feet from home plate as the contest shifted to the fourth inning scoreless.
Morton led off the top of the fourth with a double down the left-field line, but was stranded there following a strikeout, flyout, and a groundout.
Methodist used small ball in the bottom of the fifth with a single and a sacrifice bunt to get a runner in scoring range with one away, but Thompson and the Tornado defense halted the threat.
Brevard put together a two-out rally in the top of the sixth as Morton singled and Clark doubled to put runners on second and third, but a flyout ended the scoring opportunity for the visitors.
Methodist got a runner on third in the bottom half of the frame after a walk, stolen base, and a balk, but Thompson once again avoided trouble forcing a line out to left field.
Vasquez led off the top of the seventh with a double, however, BC was once again denied a run as the Tornados stranded runners at the corners.
The Monarchs broke through in the bottom of the seventh as a leadoff single, sacrifice bunt, and a wild pitch put the go-ahead run 90 feet away with one out. Bowles drove in the run with a bunt RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
Blake Burchett singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Methodist once again killed the rally to hold on to its one-run lead.
Brevard put together one last scoring chance in the top of the ninth after a one-out walk, but the Monarchs clinched the series sweep after a flyout and a pop-out.
BC returns home for Senior weekend at Gil Coan Field against Mary Baldwin University beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.
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-BC-