BREVARD, N.C. –  Powered by two big innings, Methodist (7-11, 3-1 USA South) overpowered Brevard (13-7, 2-2 USAS) despite a late surge, taking game one of the three-game series.
 
The two sides were slated for a doubleheader, but inclement weather pushed the second contest to Sunday. The second game was suspended and will be continued on Sunday at 11 a.m. with the Monarchs leading by one with one out in the top of the first inning.
 
Methodist took an early lead in game one, as Ethan Golemo scored a pair off Brevard's Matthew Evans on a two-RBI single, making it 2-0 Monarchs. However, Evans was able to limit the damage and hold the Monarchs to two in the first.
 
Brevard had an immediate answer, as Gavin Grant ripped a leadoff single before Davis Anders crushed his team-high fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to tie the game at two.
 
A scoreless second inning from Evans allowed the Tornados' offense to get back to work, as Bryson Genwright singled before Gavin Grant walked, setting the table for Nico Bartolotti to cash in a pair on a two-RBI single, giving Brevard the 4-2 lead after two.
 
The Monarchs wasted no time in the third after a leadoff walk, as Jackson Kuhn ripped an RBI triple to bring Methodist within one. Kuhn eventually came in to score on an error to tie the game at four, ending Evans' day on the mound. Methodist would add four more in the inning on a pair of sacrifice flys, a Brevard error, and an Israel Ortiz RBI single, growing the lead to 8-4.
 
Both teams remained scoreless as the Tornados turned to bullpen arms Grayson Ledford and Kalen Milstead. However, after a scoreless fourth, the Monarchs got back on the board. The first three Monarchs reached on a pair of singles and an error to load the bases before Golemo cashed in two more with a two-RBI single. Bronson Shaikh and Kade Bell collected RBI hits in the frame, producing a five-run frame to grow the lead to 13-4.
 
The Tornados pushed back in the bottom half of the fifth, as Gavin McCoy launched his second home run of the season to make it 13-5. However, Brevard stranded a pair as the Monarchs were able to limit the Tornados to just one run in the fifth.
 
Jaeger Pankowski entered for Brevard in the sixth, and despite a one-out RBI double, Pankowski retired the next two to keep the tally 14-5.
 
Both sides went scoreless in the seventh, and Juan Perez dealt a scoreless eighth inning in his first outing of the season.
 
Brevard slimmed the margin in the bottom of the eighth as the first three reached on a Moe Love Jr. single, Gavin Grant was hit by a pitch, and Nico Bartolotti walked to load the bases. Davis Anders scored one on an RBI single before Gavin McCoy cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple. Hunter Busque capped off a five-run inning with a sacrifice fly, making it 15-10 after eight innings.
 
Bryce Mauger cashed in an insurance run off Brevard's Cole Smith, but Smith got the final out of the ninth, giving the Tornados a chance. However, Methodist's Jackson Kuhn stranded a Nico Bartolotti one-out single, retiring the next two as Methodist prevailed.
 
Methodist's Presley Patterson earned the win, tossing five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with four walks and a strikeout. Andrew Bubon dealt the next 2.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, before Bryce Mauger and Jackson Kuhn closed the door with the final 1.2 innings.
 
Offensively, Ethan Golemo led with a game-high five RBI, while Austin Rinzel, Brandon Mauger, Bronson Shaikh, and Kade Bell scored two each. Blake Freeman, Israel Ortiz, and Jackson Kuhn scored one apiece.
 
Matthew Evans was handed the loss, throwing two innings with four walks and a strikeout, allowing three earned runs while the other three came across unearned due to errors. Grayson Ledford,  Kalen Milstead, Jaeger Pankowski, Jacob Wilde, Juan Peres, and Cole Smith combined for the other seven innings.
 
Offensively, Davis Anders and Gavin McCoy tallied four RBI apiece, while Nico Bartolotti and Hunter Busque tallied an RBI each.
 
The Monarchs and the Tornados will resume play tomorrow at 11 am, with Methodist leading 1-0 in the top of the first, with a second game to follow.
 
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