FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist University baseball team held on for a 4-2 win against Maryville to reach the 30-win plateau and complete a three-game sweep of the Scots at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
With the win, the Monarchs improve to 30-11 on the year and get to 30 wins for the 19th time in program history – all under head coach Tom Austin. Meanwhile, the Scots finish their season at 26-13 after dropping eight-straight to close the year.
 
Neither team was able to score a run through the first four innings of play. MU starting pitcher Tyler Brown retired the side in order in the top of the fifth inning before the Monarchs got on the board in the home half of the frame. Parker Clayton led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Elliot Manley. Ethan Carmack laced a single straight up the middle that the MC pitcher narrowly avoided as Clayton came around to score, 1-0.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Monarchs added a few insurance runs as Tucker Criswell launched his team-best fifth home run of the season on the first pitch of the half inning, 2-0. The Green and Gold manufactured a second run as Davis Cass singled and Jacob Austin reached on a fielding error on a sac bunt, while Clayton also moved Cass up on a sac bunt. Manley laid down a third sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play to allow Cass to cross home plate and the Monarchs took a 3-0 lead.
 
The Scots got one run back in the seventh on a single to left by Mike Homan and an RBI single by Caleb Adams, 3-1. Brown induced an inning-ending double play to end the scoring opportunity for MC. After a pitching change in the home half of the inning, Ethan Carmack crushed a home run to right field to put MU up 4-1.
 
Maryville got two runners on with one out in the eighth inning before a diving grab by Criswell at third and a groundout to second stranded two runners in scoring position. Homan started off the top of the ninth with a single after a fully extended diving grab attempt by Cass fell in for a single. A four-pitch walk put two runners on before the Monarchs exchanged a run for an out and struck out the final batter to hold on for a 4-2 win.
 
Brown (8-2) grabbed his eighth win of the season after another quality start on the mound. He allowed one run on just four hits and struck out one. Kevin Williams pitched the eighth inning and allowed one hit and a walk, while Will Walker picked up his seventh save of the year despite yielding one run on a hit and a walk.
 
For the Scots, Christian Poulsen was saddled with the loss as he fell to 5-2 on the year. He pitched 6.0 innings and surrendered three runs (2 ER) on seven hits with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts. Zach McGee tossed the final 2.0 frames allowing one run on a hit.
 
Carmack and Cass were each 2 for 4 at the plate, while Carmack had two RBI and a run scored, including a home run. For Maryville, Adams and Homan each had multi-hit games, while Homean scored twice.
 
Methodist is back in action with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 27, as it hosts Piedmont beginning at 1 pm at Armstrong-Shelley Field to kick off the final series of the regular season.