April 9, 2006
 Monarchs win USA South regular season title with wins over Shenandoah
 Casey Varnell picks ups seventh relief win in game one; Kurt Kelly pitches a complete game in game two

 FAYETTEVILLE, NC-  The Methodist College baseball team won the USA South regular season conference championship on Sunday by defeating Shenandoah University 7-5 and 5-4.  That fact might not surprise you since they've done that eight times in the last twelve years.  However, on March 15th Methodist was 4-5 in the USA South and 8-10 overall.  With their backs against the wall and their chance of defending their 2005 USA South title diminishing, the Monarchs went on to win three straight three game weekend series with Christopher Newport, Averett, and Shenandoah to finish as conference champions.  
 

There may not be a hotter team in the country going into post-season play.  Methodist (22-11, 13-5) is riding an eleven game winning streak and has won fourteen of their last fifteen games.

The Monarchs wasted little time getting things started in game one; a continuation of a rain-delayed Saturday game starting with a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the second inning.  Methodist put up four runs as the game began in the bottom of the second inning.   The Monarchs scored twice on Dustin Proctor’s two run single off the glove of Shenandoah shortstop David Jenkins and twice more when Jenkins misplayed a line drive by Matt Hunt.

 

Shenandoah responded scoring once in the third, twice in the fourth, again in the sixth, and finally once more tying the game at 5-5 in the eighth on a Jenkins single to left field. 

 

Both teams went with their Saturday starter again on Sunday, and neither lasted very long.  Methodist starter Adam Denning, who pitched the first two scoreless innings in Saturday’s rain, left in the fourth inning giving up three runs.  Shenandoah starter Jason Bryne also left in the fourth, giving up five runs.

 

Methodist retook the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth when Kyle Eudy walked, was sacrificed by Michael Carter, and scored on a Brad Davis single down the right field line.  Jonathan Spivey followed singling home Davis to take the Monarchs to the final margin of 7-5.

 

Casey Varnell continued his impressive season in relief.  The senior right hander came in and pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief scattering eight hits, allowing two runs, and striking out seven to earn his seventh relief victory of the season.

 

Methodist won despite being out-hit 14-8, as Shenandoah left twelve runners on base.  The Hornets left the bases loaded in both the 5th and 6th innings, scoring only one run on seven hits and an error.  Brad Davis and Jonathan Spivey had two hits each for Methodist.

 

Game two was a see-saw battle that saw Methodist tie the game and then regain the lead on three occasions.    

 Two leadoff bloop singles off Methodist starter Kurt Kelly turned into runs when Adam Duckett singled and Shenandoah got out to a 2-0 lead.

 

Methodist took the lead back 3-2 scoring on a Kyle Eudy base hit in the first, a Brad Davis double in the second, and a Scott Russell double in the third.

 

Kelly weathered an unlucky first inning and cruised for four scoreless innings before surrendering a solo home run to Ryan Anderson in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. 

 

The Monarchs took the lead again in the bottom of the sixth when Jonathan Spivey singled home Jason Hughes.

 

The Hornets again tied the game in the seventh when Scott Disch doubled just under a diving Andy Redman in right field to make it 4-4.

 

Methodist again would answer back.  Michael Carter singled and then scored from first on a Scott Russell bloop single to right center field, giving the Monarchs the 5-4 advantage.  Carter simply outran the relay throw going to third and kept running to score on a missed tag at home.

 

Kelly recorded the rare complete game victory, gutting it out in the late innings.  He scattered nine hits on nine innings striking out five. 

  

Jonathan Spivey, Steve Cornelius, Scott Russell, and Brad Davis all had two hits for the Monarchs.

                                                                                           

Methodist will now compete as the #1 seed in the USA South Conference Tournament in Burlington, VA on Wednesday April 12th at 8 pm; taking on the winner of #4 Greensboro and #5 Christopher Newport.