BREVARD, N.C. – The USA South Conference Baseball Tournament got underway with a pair of three-team double elimination tournaments, with the second of which being held in Brevard, North Carolina at Gil Coan Field, marking BC's first NCAA-era postseason home contest.
The first game of the day was a marathon between six-seed Pfeiffer University (20-19) and three-seed Methodist University (21-21), with the Falcons coming from behind to earn a 14-13 victory.
With the loss, the Methodist Monarchs were a loss away from elimination. However, with their backs against the wall, the Monarchs delivered, using eight-consecutive runs to earn the 9-3 victory over the two-seed Brevard College baseball team (20-17).
As a result of the tournament-opening defeat, the Tornados will attempt to hold off elimination tomorrow, as Brevard will take on Pfeiffer at Gil Coan Field at 11 a.m. If the Tornados are able to win, it would set up a rematch between Pfeiffer and Methodist, with the winner of that contest facing BC on Saturday.
Logan Clark and Frankie Vasquez each went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Colson Miller, Luke Morton, Kenny Pridmore, and CP Pyle all collected singles as well, with Pridmore recording an RBI alongside Cale Oehler.
Connor Crosby made his first start on the mound in over a month, giving Brevard six innings of work with eight hits and four runs with a pair of strikeouts, but was saddled with the loss after a three-run sixth by the Monarchs. Matthew Evans, Kalen Milstead, and Aaron Burchett worked out of the bullpen for Brevard.
Crosby worked around a leadoff walk in the top of the first, settling in to record three consecutive outs and strand the runner on third. Granata led the bottom half of the inning with a walk that was followed by a one-out double from Clark. A wild pitch from Methodist allowed Granata to score, and Oehler drove Clark in on a sacrifice fly to give BC the early 2-0 lead.
Banks Engle got into scoring position in the top of the second with a double down the left-field line, but the threat was erased when Logan Sawyer made a fantastic over-the-shoulder grab and doubled off Engle on the second base bag to end the half-inning. With one out in the bottom of the second, Miller and Pridmore roped back-to-back singles into left field, but an infield fly and a 5-4 fielder's choice ended the scoring opportunity.
Crosby and the Tornado defense sat Methodist down in order in the top of the third. With Clark on the base paths and one away, the Monarchs were able to get Clark in a rundown between first and second, clearing the bases in the bottom of the third.
Methodist was able to scratch across its first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, but stranded a runner on base in the top of the fourth. Vasquez led the bottom of the inning off with a double down the third-base line, and CP Pyle followed suit with a single to put runners on the corners and nobody out. Pridmore stepped to the dish with one away and launched a fly ball to deep left that allowed Vasquez to score on Brevard's second sacrifice fly of the game, giving the Tornados a 3-1 lead through four innings.
Crosby and the Tornado defense once again forced a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the fifth to keep BC up by two runs. Methodist was able to return the favor, sitting the top of BC's lineup down in order. The Monarchs were able to get to Crosby and the Tornados in the top of the sixth, using three singles and a HBP to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead. Vasquez was able to get aboard with a one-out single and a wild pitch put him in scoring position, but the Tornados were unable to capitalize.
Evans relieved Crosby in the top of the seventh, and the Monarchs used three singles and a double to plate a pair of runs and extend their newfound lead to a 6-3 margin. The Tornados were able to get the leadoff runner aboard in the bottom of the seventh, but a stellar defensive play by the Monarchs kicked off the visitors retiring three-straight baserunners to maintain their three-run edge.
The Tornados got two quick outs in the top of the eighth, but Evans was chased from the ballgame after two singles, two stolen bases, and an RBI infield hit put Methodist up 7-3. Milstead was brought in, and was immediately greeted with a double steal by Methodist with runners on the corners, as the visitors took a five-run lead, 8-3, into the bottom of the eighth.
Clark led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, but the heart of the order could not add onto the threat for the Tornados with consecutive fly outs. Clark stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but a Pyle line drive was hauled in on a sliding grab in center field, sending the contest to the ninth.
Methodist added another insurance run in the top of the ninth, and then shut Brevard down in the home half of the inning to clinch the 9-3 win.
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