March 26, 2006
Six run
rally
leads to
series
sweep
Cornelius'
single
wins
game in
the
bottom
of the
twelfth
FAYETTEVILLE,
NC-
The
comeback
kids
struck
again.
The
Methodist
baseball
team
completed
a series
sweep of
visiting
Christopher
Newport
on
Sunday
in
dramatic
fashion.
The
Monarchs
(15-11,
7-5)
trailed
8-2 in
the
sixth
inning
before
mounting
an
attack
that
would
lead
well
into the
night
and end
once
again in
victorious
celebration.
The
Monarchs
chipped
away
scoring
in the
sixth,
seventh,
eighth,
and
ninth
innings
to send
the
games to
extra
innings.
In the
bottom
of the
twelfth
Steve
Cornelius
put the
final
stamp on
the
remarkable
comeback
by
singling
home
Brad
Davis
for the
win.
The win
is the
third
time in
the last
six
games
that the
Monarchs
finished
the game
with a
game
winning
hit.
While
the
ending
was
pretty
for
Monarch
fans,
the game
was
anything
but.
The
game,
which
lasted
four
hours
and
forty-three
minutes,
featured
a
combined
nineteen
runs,
thirty-three
hits,
nine
walks,
and
seven
errors.
Methodist
started
Kurt
Kelly
struck
out the
side in
the
first
inning
and
looked
to be in
control.
However,
Christopher
Newport
put up
five
runs in
the
third on
four
singles
and
three
Monarch
infield
errors.
After
CNU
added
two more
runs in
the
fourth
on four
more
base
hits,
the
Monarchs
trailed
8-2 and
looked
to be in
for a
long
day.
Casey
Varnell
however,
had a
different
plan.
The
reliever
came in
to pitch
six
solid
innings
scattering
ten hits
and
giving
up just
one
unearned
run,
allowing
the
Monarch
offense
to go to
work.
The
Monarchs
scored
two in
the
sixth on
a
Jonathan
Spivey
double;
two more
in the
seventh
on a
Kyle
Eudy
single
and a
Michael
Carter
sac fly;
and
another
in the
eighth
on a
Steve
Cornelius
single.
The
Monarchs
still
trailed
9-7
going
into the
bottom
of the
ninth.
Dustin
Proctor
singled
and
later
scored
on pinch
hitter
Matt
Mergo's
double
down the
right
field
line.
Andy
Redman
came on
to run
for
Mergo
and
scored
the
tying
run on a
Brad
Davis
groundball
to the
right
side.
After
two and
a half
innings
of
scoreless
free
baseball,
Brad
Davis
got
things
going
again in
the
twelfth
by
singling
down the
left
field
line.
Jonathan
Spivey
executed
the
sacrifice
and Matt
Hunt was
pitched
around,
setting
the
table
for
Steve
Cornelius.
Cornelius
bounced
one
through
the hole
and Brad
Davis
dove
head
first
into
home for
the win.
Chase
Cates
got the
win for
Methodist
pitching
the last
two
scoreless
innings.
Spivey
and
Cornelius
each had
two hits
for the
Monarchs
team
effort
that saw
seven
players
record
RBI.
Mike
Giarrizzi
was 5-6
for CNU
(10-12,
5-7) and
Ryan
McDougal
added
four
hits.
Methodist
next
game
will be
Wednesday
at home
against
Virginia
Wesleyan.
