The No. 12 Methodist baseball team opened play in the USA South Tournament with a 10-4 win against William Peace in LaGrange, Georgia.
 
The Monarchs, who are the No. 1 seed, advance to face the No. 5 seed, N.C. Wesleyan, tomorrow, April 12, also in LaGrange, beginning at 10 am. Meanwhile, the No. 8 seed Pacers will face the No. 4 seed, Huntingdon, at Point University beginning at 10 am.
 
Matthias Carter was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first inning before finding his way to third on a single by Alex Kachler. Both runners scored on a two-run single up the middle by Tucker Criswell as MU assumed a 2-0 lead after one full inning.
 
In the third frame, Kachler led off with a double to left field and moved to third on a single by Will May. Criswell drove in Kachler against on an RBI double, 3-0, before May scored on a fielding error, 4-0. Criswell scored on a squeeze bunt by Jacob Austin to put the Monarchs up 5-0. Davis Cass crossed home plate on a double steal with runners on the corners as MU led 6-0 after three innings of play.
 
The Pacers got on the board in the fourth with back-to-back RBI singles to cut the lead down to four runs (6-2). Alec Allred doubled down the left-field line to score another run in the fifth as WPU again cut into the lead to make the score 6-3. The Monarchs responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame. Austin dropped down a great bunt to load the bases before Parker Clayton, who was named USA South Rookie of the Week on Monday, drew a bases-loaded walk, one of four walks for Clayton on the day, to run the lead back to four runs, 7-3.
 
After a pitching change to start the sixth inning, the Pacers got a hit and took advantage of a fielding error to plate another runner , 7-4. Kachler led off the home half of the frame with a stand-up triple to right-center field, but was stranded at third.
 
The Monarchs pulled away in the seventh as Clayton walked, Elliot Manley singled and Carter walked to load the bases. Ethan Carmack hit a sacrifice fly to score Clayton and Kachler scored the other two runners with a two-run single through the left side of the infield to set the score at 10-4.
 
Kachler was 4 for 5 at the plate with two RBI, two runs scored, a double, a triple and a stolen base, while Criswell was 3 for 4 with three RBI, two runs scored on two doubles and a walk. Clayton walked four times and scored once and Carter reached base safely for the 28th straight game as he walked once and scored twice.
 
For the Pacers, three players had multi-hit performances, including Allred who doubled, scored once and drove in a run as well.
 
Tyler Brown picked up the victory after pitching 5.0 innings. In the start, he allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Kevin Williams tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief and scattered two hits and struck out one.
 
Derek Jackson started and only went 3.0 innings for WPU, yielding six runs (5 ER) on six hits with a walk and a strikeout. Four pitchers saw the mound for the Pacers.