April 3, 2006
Monarchs sweep Pride for win number 30
Methodist eyes conference title next weekend

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. –  The Monarch softball team did not let their new #8 national ranking get to their heads this past weekend.  Instead, the Monarchs gutted out two one-run wins on the road a Greensboro College to improve to 30-6 and 11-1 in the USA South.

Game One: Monarchs 2, The Pride 1

Amy Faucette lifted a seventh inning home run to left field to give Methodist (29-6, 10-1) a 2-1 win over Greensboro College at Salvation Army Field.  Lauren Manning (2-3, RBI) led the way for GC (22-9, 7-2).  Kristen Slade (5-3) pitched a complete game, allowing three hits, two runs while striking out nine  Methodist batters. Jennifer Sorensen (14-3) countered on the mound, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out four Pride batters.

Jessica Clack got the first hit of the game with a double to left field, advancing to third on an errant throw by the Monarchs Adrienne Acosta. Lauren Manning followed with a single down the left field line, scoring Clack from third for the 1-0 GC lead.

Holding the Monarchs scoreless through four innings, Methodist stated the fifth inning with a walk, followed by
a single to the shortstop by Rebekah Kelly. The runners advanced on a throwing error by Margaret Hamm, moving the runners into scoring position. A sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Kristen Kennedy scored Adrienne Acosta, knotting the game at 1-1.


Game Two: Monarchs 7, The Pride 6

Greensboro College's late rally came up short and Methodist defeated The Pride, 7-6, to earn a sweep of
Saturday's USA South doubleheader. MC improved to 30-6 and 12-1 while GC fell to 22-10 and 7-3.

The Monarchs scored in the first inning of the contest, when a double by Kristen Kennedy followed single by Amy Faucette to put runners in scoring position for Methodist.  A passed ball off the glove of Margaret Hamm allowed Faucette to score from third for the 1-0 lead.

The Lady Pride answered with a first inning run of their own, loading the bases with three straight hits, scoring Jenee Johnson from third base on a single to right field by Ashley Pennington.

Methodist reassumed the lead in the third, moving Rebekah Kelly to third base after a leadoff single, advancing to third on a wild pitch. Kennedy followed a double to right field, scoring Kelly for the go-ahead 2-1 lead.

Pennington led off the GC fourth inning with a double to center, and following a single to left by Whitney
Williams, two runners were in scoring position. Katie Anderson singled to right, scoring Williams and Pennington, to give GC a 3-2 lead.

The Monarchs scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning, beginning with a Kennedy home over the right field
wall. Sara Poling doubled to center field followed by a single up the middle by LaTiana Headen. With the bases
loaded, the Monarchs’ Lisa Jackson doubled down the left field line to score Headen and Poling for a 5-3 lead.
Caryn Moreland singled to right field, scoring Candace Hudgins. The final Methodist scored off the bat of
Adrienne Acosta on a single to the first base side, bringing Jackson to the plate.

GC answered in the home half of the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits, the big hit coming on one out double to center field by Hamm, bringing Clack and Johnson home. Two batters later Whitney Williams scored Hamm on a single up the middle, and advanced home on a single to left field by Katie Anderson slicing the Methodist lead to 7-6.

Yet the Pride could not bring another run home. Jordan Davenport (5-3) earned the loss. MC's Lesley Hewitt (10-1) got the win.

Methodist hosts Salem on Tuesday, April 4th at 2:30 pm