FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Hood College baseball team could not hold onto their ninth inning lead against the Monarchs of Methodist University, as the Blazers fell 7-6 for their third loss of the weekend.
Inside the Box Score
Jack Patterson (Boyds, Md./Northwest) went 3-5 with a home run.
Ty Broughton (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington) hit a home run and finished 2-4 on the day.
James Gruenfelder (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl L. Vandermulen) rounded out the home run hitters for the Blazers.
Mason Sawyers (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) pitched a scoreless 5 2/3 innings.
How it Happened
Neither team was able to plate any runs until the third inning, when Methodist pushed four across to end
Tim Rio's (Manassas, Va./Unity Reed) day early. Despite still having two runners on with just one out, Sawyers was able to come in and get the final two outs to stop the bleeding.
Hood answered back in a big way the very next inning, as
Matthew Stout (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) was able to draw a walk before being driven home by a Patterson bomb to right field, cutting the Blazers deficit to just 4-2.
The Monarchs experienced déjà vu just a few moments later, as
AJ Haines (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) drew a walk of his own which was followed by a Broughton home run two batters later to draw Hood even.
Methodist switched pitchers after the second home run of the inning, but it looked like that would backfire as well, as Gruenfelder ripped a shot long and gone to left field to give the Blazers their first lead of the series.
Although it was not able to send anyone else home that inning, Hood would get another run in the sixth when a Haines single allowed Stout to score from third.
It looked like the Blazers were set to come away with at least one weekend heading into the bottom of the ninth but were unable to record an out in the frame, as the Monarchs scored three runs to walk the game off and send Hood home unhappy.
For the Opponent
Caleb Rodgers went 2-4 with two RBIs.
Blake Freeman finished the day 2-2 with a double and two RBIs.
Up Next
The Blazers will play in the Cougar Classic hosted by Misericordia University, playing Ursinus College and Elmira College Saturday, 22 at 12 and 3 p.m.
