CARY, N.C.  For the first time this season, Methodist University baseball was the visiting team, as they began USA South Athletic Conference play against William Peace University on Friday. After falling behind, the Monarchs produced an eight-run inning to help guide them to a 12–5 victory over the Pacers at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

This win was also a momentous milestone victory for Methodist head coach Tom Austin, as it was win number 1,300. Austin becomes the sixth coach in NCAA Division III history to reach 1,300 career victories, including the second active head coach. 

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. William Peace, 12–5
Records: Methodist 12-6 (1-0 USA South), William Peace 5-13 (0-1)
Location: USA Baseball National Training Complex; Cary, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jackson Deal opened up the ballgame in a big way, launching a leadoff homerun for Methodist. A few batters later, Tristen Melvin one-upped Deal and crushed a two-run homer, the first of his collegiate career, giving the Monarchs a 3–0 lead in the first inning.
• William Peace was able to get two of the runs back in the second inning. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch scored the first Pacer's run before Adam Joseph drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly.
• In the fifth and sixth innings, William Peace recorded three more runs to take a 5–3 lead. Ian Turner and Alex Levesque had the RBIs in the fifth, as Turner laid down a sacrifice bunt to allow one run to score, then Levesque brought in another run after hitting a double. The lone Pacer run in the sixth came around to score on a Methodist miscue.
• The Monarchs would re-take an 11–5 lead in the seventh after scoring eight runs. In that inning, six different Methodist batters registered an RBI, including Caleb Rogers and Banks Engle, who each had two RBIs.
• In the ninth, the Monarchs scored their 12th run of the game on a sac fly RBI from Engle.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Methodist offense was led by Deal (3-of-6) and Engle (3-of-4), who each had three hits. Additionally, Engle was tied for the lead in RBIs (3) for the game, along with Melvin.
• For the first time in his young career, Ian Swanson of the Monarchs surrendered an earned run. He previously pitched 27.0 innings without allowing an earned run.
• Even though Swanson did not have his best stuff today, Methodist kept him out of the loss column. The Monarch bullpen of Brandon Humphreys, Tanner Simpson, and Andrew Bubon also did their job and held the Pacers' offense to a minimum across the last four innings, with just three hits and one unearned run.

UP NEXT
Methodist will face William Peace again tomorrow as the two teams play a conference doubleheader, starting at 1 PM.