March 6, 2008
Monarchs Win Two Including Shutout Over #5 Wartburg
Junior Sara Poling helped Methodist early against Bluffton

KISSIMMEE, FL - The Methodist softball team kept rolling through the Rebel Games on Thursday with wins over Bluffton University and #5 Wartburg College. The Monarchs move to 9-3 this season while Bluffton is 4-4 and Wartburg moves to 5-2 overall.

The Monarchs made quick work of Bluffton in the first game of the day. Freshman Ashley Guman singled and stole second but was replaced with pinch runner sophomore Megan Hutson after an injury. Junior Sara Poling singled up the middle to move Hutson to third before freshman Hannah Stutts sacrifice fly gave Methodist the 1-0 lead. In the second inning, freshman Darci Martin hit a solo home run off the fence for the second run of the game. The Monarchs scored three runs in the third after a leadoff single from senior Rebekah Kelly. Poling singled and Stutts loaded the bases with a walk. A single to right center from junior Kayla Talbert scored two runners and sophomore Crystal Metzger's single loaded the bases again. Martin's fielder's choice scored the third run of the inning. Bluffton tallied a run in the bottom of the third and added one in the fifth, but Methodist picked up another three runs in the sixth on a two-RBI single from Talbert and a RBI single from Metzger after singles from Kelly and Hutson. Stutts pitched the complete game for the win in the circle.

Junior Lesley Hewitt took over for game two against #5 Wartburg. She allowed just four hits in the shutout victory while Methodist rattled off nine hits in the win. Kelly led off the bottom of the first with a triple to left center. Hutson singled through the left side but Kelly held on third. Metzger was hit by a pitch, but freshman Jody Eyler's single up the middle scored Kelly. Talbert hit a sacrifice fly to score Hutson for the 2-0 lead. Poling walked to load the bases again and senior Billye Rivas pinch hit a single down the left field line to score Metzger. Later in the fourth inning, freshman Brandi Chandler slapped a single up the middle and moved to second on freshman Tabatha Stephenson's single up the middle. Kelly advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt for Hutson to hit a single through the left side scoring Chandler. Stephenson scored on Metzger's single for the 5-0 win.

Methodist will face Washington (MO) and Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday.