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04/09/05
Baseball
MONARCHS TAKE TWO FROM PRIDE AND TAKE USAS REGULAR SEASON CROWN
Game Two: Methodist 6, GC 5
GREENSBORO—A doubleheader sweep gave Methodist College the USA South regular season title on Saturday. The Monarchs won the nightcap, 6-5, for the title-clincher.
The Pride (18-11, 8-6) was led at the plate by its 3-4-5 hitters. Hitting in the three hole, Larry Lockhart, had a 1-for-4, 2 RBI, two run performance. Kevin Mong and Taylor Kennedy rounded out the middle of the order batting 1-for-3 at the plate each.
Mong pitched three complete innings, before giving way to Torrey Poholsky (0-1). Poholsky surrendered what proved to be the game deciding runs, allowing one hit and walking two batters. Steven Augone, Brandon Jorth, and Kevin Showe combined to hold Methodist to one hit, three walks, while strking out three Monarch batters over the last five innings.
Methodist carried momentum from the first game into the first inning of the second game, scoring three runs on four hits. Jonathan Spivey led the game off with a single to center field, and moved to third on the ensuing batter when David Hoffman doubled to right field. Matt Kleckner doubled down the left field line for a third consecutive Monarch hit, scoring Hoffman and Spivey. Two batters later, Kleckner crossed the plate for the 3-0 advantage, with a single past the shortstop by Kyle Eudy.
The Monarchs added to the lead in the third, upping the lead to 4-0. Michael Ellsworth led off the inning with a single to center field, where he eventually advanced to third base. Matt Hunt, fifth batter of the Monarchs inning, laid a bunt single that reached third, scoring Ellsworth.
Methodist continued to score, this time in the fourth. Hoffman led off the inning with a walk. Kleckner followed by reaching on an error by Chad Alligood. With runners on second and third, Allen Kent singled to left field scoring Hoffman and Kleckner for the 6-0 Monarch lead.
Fielding Hammond of the Monarchs took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, before Chad Clark broke it up with a single to left field. Jeff Gregory followed with a single to second, and with two runners on Larry Lockhart singled down the left field line to clear the bases, and cut the lead to 6-2. Kevin Mong walked for GC to load the bases, and Taylor Kennedy followed with a single to left field that scored Brent Justice. Surrendering four consecutive hits Hammond gave way to reliever Casey Varnell. Varnell walked the second batter he faced, Jesse Sutton, scoring Lockhart from third for the 6-4 Methodist lead.
Lockhart again became a factor in the game, this time in the seventh, when a throwing error by Kleckner allowed Lockhart to move to second. One batter later, Mong singled into left field, scoring Lockhart, and cutting the deficit to 6-5.
Methodist College 6, Greensboro College 5 (Apr 09, 2005 at Greensboro, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Methodist College... 301 200 000 - 6 10 1 (23-9, 12-5 USA South)
Greensboro College.. 000 040 100 - 5 6 1 (18-11, 8-6 USA South)
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Pitchers: Methodist College - HAMMOND, F; VARNELL, C(5); MAXWELL, B(9). Greensboro College -MONG; POHOLSKY(4); AUGONE(5); JORTH(6); SHOWE(7).
Win-VARNER,(6-1) Save-MAXWELL, B(7) Loss-POHOLSKY(0-1) T-3:01 A-115
Game One: Methodist 7, GC 5
GREENSBORO—Methodist College defeated Greensboro College 7-5 at War Memorial Stadium, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.
Leading the way for The Pride (18-10, 8-5) at the plate were third baseman Brent Justice (2-for-4, RBI, run) and Larry Lockhart hitting 2-for-4, with an RBI, including a double, and scored two runs. Shortstop Jeff Gregory (2-of-3) was the only other Pride batter with multiple hits.
In a matchup of aces, Methodist’s Ryan Brandt (6-1) earned the victory He departed after 5 1/3 innings, eight hits, four earned runs, and strking out five GC batters. Brandt gave way to Blake Maxwell, who earned his sixth save of the season, closing out the game after allowing one earned run on four Pride hits. GC's AnDrew Keever (5-2) led GC on the mound. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed six earned runs, walked two, and struck out four Monarch batters.
GC put two runs on the board early, taking advantage of two first inning hits. Brent Justice registered a single for the first Pride hit of the game, scoring from first on a double to center field by Larry Lockhart. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Lockhart gave GC a 2-0 lead when he scored on a ground out by Taylor Kennedy.
Solid defense for GC kept the Monarchs bats (22-9, 11-5) quiet until the top of the fourth. Methodist scored five runs on five hits, and took advantage of a GC error, while taking a 5-2 lead. Josh Harris singled to right field, over the head of Jesse Sutton to score Michael Ellsworth with the first Monarchs run. Two batters later, a single to right field by Jonathan Spivey scored Harris and teammate Kyle Eudy, as Methodist took a 3-2 lead. With two outs, Methodist put runners on second and third after a double steal. Matt Kleckner singled to right, scoring Spivey from third. The final Monarchs run of the inning scored when a throwing error by Taylor Kennedy allowed David Hoffman to score from third.
Methodist maintained the 5-2 lead through the home half of the fifth inning, when The Pride took advantage of three hits in the inning. A leadoff double by Chad Clark, followed by a single by Jeff Gregory to shortstop gave GC runners at first and third with no outs. Justice again played a key role in the Pride lineup, singling up the middle scoring Clark, and moving Gregory to third. Despite runners on the corners, the Monarchs kept the Pride from scoring, and a 5-3 lead.
The Pride continued its march in the sixth, registering two hits. Reaching on an error, Kennedy scored from first two batters later when Jesse Sutton singled to deep center field. GC faced a second consecutive inning with runners on the corners, however was unable to score, trailing 5-4 through six complete.
The Monarchs added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, pushing the lead to 7-4. Kleckner doubled to center field, leading off the inning, and scored on the following at-bat when Billy Quinn singled to deep center, and moved to second on the throw. Ben Kaplan recorded an RBI, bringing Quinn home from third on a single to left, and giving Methodist a three run advantage.
Trailing 7-4, Lockhart singled to center for the first GC hit of the seventh inning. Three batters later, Chad Alligood brought Lockhart home from second on a double to right field. With a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the inning, and two outs, The Pride’s rally fell short with the 7-5 loss.
Methodist College 7, Greensboro College 5 (Apr 09, 2005 at Greensboro, N.C) (Game 1)
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Methodist College... 000 500 2 - 7 12 1 (22-9, 11-5 USA South)
Greensboro College.. 200 011 1 - 5 12 2 (18-10, 8-5 USA South)
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Pitchers: Methodist College - BRANDT, R; MAXWELL, B(6). Greensboro College - KEEVER; MOCK(7).
Win-BRANDT, R(6-1) Save-MAXWELL, B(6) Loss-KEEVER(5-2) T-2:35 A-115.
GC record 18-11, 8-6; Streak L3; Up next vs. Methodist, 4/10, 1 p.m.
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