April 17, 2008
Monarchs Sting Hornets
Senior Scott Russell hit 3-for-4 with a single, double and a triple

BURLINGTON, N.C. – Fourth-seeded Methodist held No. 5 Shenandoah to just six hits Thursday morning on its way to a 5-3 victory in the opening game of the USA South Conference baseball Tournament at Burlington Athletic Stadium.

Methodist (24-12) used a three-run first to take a lead it would not relinquish against the Hornets (17-19). SU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth, but MU reliever Robert Kisiah struck out Christian Frey to end it.
Kisiah’s save, the fifth of the spring for the senior, preserved the win for sophomore Landon Jordan. Jordan (4-0) allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk in 8 1/3 innings. Jordan exited in the ninth after giving up a one-out single to Jasen Eberz.

Kisiah gave up a single to Jesse Henry and walked Preston Tarleton before getting Frey on four pitches.
The loss puts Shenandoah into an elimination situation tonight at 8:00 against top-seeded Christopher Newport.
The Monarchs are now off until 1:00 tomorrow when they take on Christopher Newport. This game will be played at Elon University.

SU opened the game’s scoring in the top of the first on a walk, a sacrifice and an RBI single by starting pitcher Greg Van Sickler.

Centerfielder Drue Vernon led off with a four-pitch walk and then was sacrificed to second by rightfielder Scott Lambert.

Van Sickler, the league’s rookie of the year, stepped to the plate and lofted a fly to left that dropped just inside the line to score Lambert from second.

The Monarchs strung together three straight singles in the bottom of the frame to answer the Hornets run. Left-fielder Kenly Locklear plated that tying run with a single through the left side.

One out later, rightfielder Brad Davis made it 3-1 with a line-drive single just over the outstretched glove of SU first baseman Scott Van Dusseldorp.

After MU made it 4-1 with a single run in the second, Shenandoah got back into it with two in the top of the third.
Methodist helped out the Hornets cause by booting a pair of groundballs – this led to both of the runs scored to be unearned.

Van Dusseldorp drove in both Vernon and Lambert, who had reached via error by the second and third basemen, respectively, with a double to left-center.

Van Sickler (3-4) lasted 5.1 innings and allowed five runs on 12 hits and one walk. He struck out two before giving way to Drew Dobbins with a runner on third with one out in the sixth.

Scott Russell led the victors with three hits in four at-bats while Seth Kivett, Locklear, Michael Carter Dustin Proctor all had two each.

Henry was 2 for 3 for the Hornets.

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