FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist baseball team collected a season-high 19 hits and plated 15 runs, also a season best, on its way to a 15-1 victory against Berea in USA South play at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Friday afternoon.
 
With the win, the Monarchs improve to 15-2 on the season and a perfect 7-0 in conference play. Also, MU is now 10-0 at home this season, which is the best home record through 10 games in recent program history. The win also marks the seventh time this year that the Monarchs have scored at least 10 runs in a game. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers drop to 2-14 overall and 0-7 in league action.
 
Tyler Brown (5-0) became the first pitcher in Division III to five victories after pitching 6.0 innings and yielding just one run (unearned). He allowed nine hits and struck out a season high seven batters. Noah Latta entered in the seventh and put the Mountaineers down in order to finish the game.
 
Griffen Norris (1-3) was strapped with the loss after allowing six runs (5 ER) on 10 hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 4.0 innings. Aaron Duncan pitched 1.0 inning on the hill and gave up eight runs (7 ER) on eight hits, while Dylan Sallee finished the game and surrendered just one run.
 
All nine batters recorded a hit for the Monarchs, including Elliot Manley, Will May and Clay Richardsonwho all posted three-hit performances. Four other players had two hits, including Alex Kachler who drove in three runs and scored one and Tucker Criswell who recorded two doubles, two RBI, scored twice and stole a base. Five players had multi-RBI games, while six Monarchs scored two or more runs.
 
The scoring started in the first inning as Richardson singled with one out and scored two batters later on an RBI double by May. Criswell followed with an RBI double to score May before Davis Cass laced an RBI single through the left side to put Criswell at third. Two pitches later, Cass stole second, which allowed Criswell to steal home, 3-0.
 
Berea got one run back in the top of the second frame when Caleb Gupton led off with a single. He moved to second on a sac bunt and scored on a throwing error, 3-1.
 
Parker Clayton led off the home half of the second with a single before scoring on a bunt by Richardson, 4-1. Kachler lined a single through the left side to score Matthias Carter to give MU a 5-1 lead. Jacob Austin singled and took second base on a throwing error and scored on an RBI single by Manley to increase the lead to 6-1 in the third.
 
In the fifth frame, the Green and Gold batted around and registered six runs on six hits and took advantage of an error to take a 12-1 edge. Clayton reached on an erro to lead off and moved to third after two bunts. He scored on a bunt single, followed by a two-run double by Kachler, 9-1. Criswell and Cass hit back-to-back doubles to plate three more runs as MU moved the lead to 12-1.
 
The final three runs came in the sixth inning as Manley scored on a wild pitch and May drove in Carter. The last run was scored after a missed line drive to the second baseman to reach the 15-1 score. Berea went down in order in the top of the seventh as MU earned a run-rule victory.
 
For the Mountaineers, Andrew Akins was 2 for 3 at the plate, while Ryan Blevens was 2 for 4. Gupton scored the lone run and Nick Bottom stole a base.
 
The two teams return to Armstrong-Shelley Field tomorrow, March 10, with a doubleheader to close out the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.