February 19, 2006
Monarchs rebound, sweep 23rd-ranked LaGrange 3-1, 8-3
Brandt, Denning neutralize Panther bats as Methodist improves to 4-1

LAGRANGE, Ga. – The Methodist Monarch baseball team rebounded from Friday’s first defeat of the season at Huntingdon by recording a doubleheader sweep 3-1 and 8-3 on Sunday at 23rd-ranked LaGrange. The sweep improved the Monarchs to 4-1 overall on the 2006 season.

The difference for Methodist was the performance of senior pitching standouts Ryan Brandt and Adam Denning. In game one, Brandt out-dueled LaGrange’s Joey Merrifield, going the distance by scattering seven hits with three strikeouts to make his record 1-0 on the season. Denning pitched eight innings in game two, allowing six hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Methodist took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one when Matt Hunt scored on a fielder’s choice, and then increased the lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Michael Carter’s RBI single scored Jason Hughes. The Monarchs added an important insurance run in the seventh on Jonathan Spivey’s RBI single.

Hunt went 2-for-4 in game one for Methodist.

In game two, Methodist broke open a close game with four runs in the seventh. Freshman catcher Dustin Proctor and Steve Cornelius both had an RBI single during the rally, while Spivey scored on an error and Michael Ellsworth scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Monarchs wiped out a 1-0 LaGrange lead in the third when Mark Weadon led off with a double, and later scored on Ellsworth’s squeeze bunt. Methodist then took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Proctor’s RBI triple scored Spivey. Methodist added two more runs in the ninth when Mark Eaton scored on an error and Proctor scored on a fielder’s choice.

Proctor went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs for Methodist, while Spivey went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Cornelius went 2-for-5.

Methodist opens its USA South Athletic Conference action and has its home opener on Saturday at 12 p.m. with a doubleheader showdown against rival Ferrum at Shelley Field.