March 7, 2006
Monarchs drop 9-5 non-conference decision at Lynchburg
Cornelius goes 3-for-5 for Methodist in defeat

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Fresh off a huge weekend sweep at North Carolina Wesleyan, the Methodist Monarch baseball team dropped a 9-5 decision at non-conference rival Lynchburg on Tuesday. The defeat drops Methodist to 8-5 overall on the season.

The homestanding Hornets struck early against Methodist pitching, scoring two runs in the second inning and one in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Brad Langston smashed a two-run home run in the second inning for Lynchburg. The Hornets added a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, increasing its lead to 5-2.

Methodist trimmed the deficit to 5-4 with two runs in the sixth. Steve Cornelius scored on a Hornet error, and Michael Carter’s RBI single plated Andy Redman from third. However, Lynchburg put it away with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

The Monarchs scored their final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Scott Russell.

Cornelius continued his impressive hitting, going 3-for-5 for the Monarchs, while Russell went 2-for-3. Robert Kisiah was the losing pitcher for Methodist, allowing four hits and three runs in two innings with two walks and one strikeout.

For Lynchburg (6-3), John Crews went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Lucas Jones went 2-for-5. The Hornets had 10 hits, but six were for extra bases. Starter Jason Kelly was the winning pitcher.

Methodist returns to Shelley Field on Thursday for a 2 p.m. showdown against Bridgewater.