STAUNTON, Va. Methodist's bats seem to have warmed up with the weather — perhaps even moving from warm to blazing hot — as the Monarchs swept a USA South Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Tuesday at Mary Baldwin University by the scores of 15-2 and 20-0. Both games ended after five innings.
Fighting Squirrels pitching was no match for the Monarch lineup, in particular against Rob Wilkerson who will enjoy some well-deserved rest on the bus ride home following a 7-for-9 afternoon that produced six RBIs, six runs scored, a double and a solo home run.
Meanwhile, Methodist pitching was shut-down all afternoon as Will Walker earned the Game 1 win with four innings of two-run baseball, and Ryan Hill and Tyler Johnson combined for a no-hitter in the nightcap. Hill earned the victory with 4.0 innings on the mound, walking one and fanning two.
JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin 15-2 (5 Inn.), Methodist def. Mary Baldwin 20-0 (5 Inn.)
Records: Methodist 11-13 (4-4 USA South), Mary Baldwin 0-6 (0-2)
Location: John Moxie Memorial Stadium; Staunton, Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Quickly. Methodist sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning in the opener, and 16 batters into the box during an 11-run second inning in Game 2.
In that opening frame of Game 1, the Monarchs led off with a Will Dagenhart single, and then the fun began.
Christian Yarbrough tripled, scoring Dagenhart, and Yarbrough was able to continue home on the play via an MBU error. Wilkerson stepped into the box next and bashed a solo home run, followed by a Jordan Cassell solo homer.
Later in the frame, Dagenhart added another RBI with a single that scored Ryan Hill, and Wilkerson picked up two more RBIs with a single that plated Josh Lallo and Dagenhart.
By the end of the frame the Monarchs led 8-0, then added two more in the top of the second and five more in the fourth, which was ignited by a Zachary Ritter lead-off home run. Wilkerson collected two more RBI in the fourth with a double that scored Yarbrough and Dagenhart.
Walker scattered seven hits in his four innings on the mound, allowing one walk and two runs against three strikeouts.
The nightcap started 'slowly' for Methodist with only two runs in the top of the first. The first of those runs, however, was a lead-off home run by Dagenhart.
The second inning was when things exploded for the Monarchs as Spencer Nelson led off the frame with a solo home run.
Eventually a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly scored two more runs, but produced two outs. That didn't matter though as the Monarchs would go on to score eight more runs while avoiding an inning-ending out.
Wilkerson had an RBI single in the frame and Wesley Hall raced around for a two-RBI triple, followed by an RBI double from Nelson with his second hit in the inning.
Hunter Hollman continued the onslaught with a two-run home run before Dagenhart and Yarbrough would add RBI hits for the final two runs of the 11-run frame.
The Monarch bats weren't quiet after that second-inning barrage either, as the produced two runs in both the third and fourth innings, and three more in the fifth.
On the flip side, Hill was dealing on the mound for Methodist, the starter allowing just one baserunner, via a walk, while striking out a pair. He handed the ball off to Johnson to start the bottom of the fifth and the freshman lefty completed the no-hitter, though allowing two walks in the frame.
EVEN MORE
Methodist amassed 36 hits over just 10 innings of action, collecting 16 extra-base hits: 8 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs.
Putting pressure on the MBU pitchers were the Monarch baserunners, who ended the afternoon with six stolen bases, three by Wilkerson in Game 2.
The 2021 season is the first for the Mary Baldwin baseball program.
NEXT UP
Methodist will welcome Greensboro College to Armstrong-Shelley Field for a three-game conference set over the weekend. The teams will play a single game Saturday at 2 p.m., and a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
Mary Baldwin will follow the same schedule on Saturday and Sunday, entertaining William Peace University in a three-game USA South series.