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March 3, 2006
 27th-ranked Methodist win first two at Atlantic vs. East Challenge Sorensen improves to 4-0 with game one victory; Brown victorious in game two VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The 27th-ranked Methodist Monarch softball team got off to a strong start on Friday at the prestigious Atlantic vs. East Challenge at Virginia Wesleyan. The Monarchs won their first two games on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Lycoming and an 8-0 shutout over Polytechnic. The victory keeps Methodist undefeated at 6-0 overall. The Atlantic vs. East Challenge is a 24-team field, including five nationally-ranked teams. The showdown against Lycoming was a match-up of two All-Conference pitchers as Methodist’s Jennifer Sorensen out-dueled Lycoming’s Morgan Mantle with a three-hitter. Sorensen improved to 4-0 on the season with the complete game shutout, recording three strikeouts with no walks. Methodist broke through with a run each in the fifth and seventh innings. LaTiana Headen’s RBI single scored Amy Faucette in the fifth to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. In the seventh, Rebekah Kelly led off with a double and then advanced to third in a bunt single by Adrienne Acosta. The Monarchs then pulled off a double-steal with Kelly swiping home for a 2-0 Methodist lead. Kayla Talbert went 2-for-2 for Methodist, while Headen went 2-for-3. Methodist scored three runs in the first and four in the second against Polytechnic. Headen started it with an RBI single in the first, followed by a two-run single by Brittney Noe. In the second, Shantell Dustin nailed an RBI single, and then Sara Poling smashed a two-run home run – her second on the season. The Monarchs finished the game with run in the sixth as Jennifer Brophy’s RBI single scored Kate Roth. Kelly and Headen both went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, while Poling celebrated a birthday with the two-run home run and Noe went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Jessica Hutzul and Mara Brown combined for a three-hitter, and Brown picked up her first victory on the season a walk and three strikeouts in three innings of relief. Methodist plays Mary Washington at 9 a.m. and Albright at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Atlantic vs. East Challenge. |
