BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (14-8, 3-3 USA South) fell in the game two resumption, 14-2, before battling back for a 5-3 triumph in the series finale over Methodist (8-12, 4-2 USAS) on Sunday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.

The Monarchs surged to the 12-run triumph in the resumption of the second game of the series. In the final game of the three-game set trailing 3-1, BC scored three in the seventh and tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to secure the home conference win. 

GAME ONE: METHODIST 14, BREVARD 2 (7 INNINGS)

Brevard struck back, tying the game at 1-1 on a leadoff home run by Gavin Grant in the bottom of the first, but Methodist answered quickly and pulled away with a 17-hit performance.

After the teams traded runs early, Methodist took the lead for good in the third inning on an RBI single by Brandon Mauger. The visitors then seized control in the fourth, capitalizing on defensive miscues, stringing together four hits to plate four runs and extend the lead to 6-1.

Brevard trimmed the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom half of the fourth when Logan Sawyer scored on an RBI single by Kacey Shanks, but Methodist responded with its biggest inning of the day in the fifth. The Monarchs erupted for six runs on six hits, aided by two Brevard errors and a wild pitch, pushing the advantage to 12-2.

Methodist added two more runs in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Grant led Brevard offensively, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, while Sawyer collected two hits and scored a run. Shanks also drove in a run for the Tornados.

Methodist starter Bryson Pope (2-1) earned the win, tossing five innings and allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Austin Rinzel paced the Monarchs at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, while Kade Bell added four hits and four runs.

GAME TWO: BREVARD 5, METHODIST 3

Brevard trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh before stringing together four consecutive hits with two outs to seize control.

After a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put runners in scoring position, Nico Bartolotti delivered a two-out RBI single to cut the deficit to one. Davis Anders followed with a two-run single to center field, scoring Bartolotti and Bryson Genwright to give the Tornados a 4-3 lead.

Methodist had taken the lead earlier in the inning on a solo home run by Kade Bell, breaking a 2-2 tie.

Brevard added an insurance run in the eighth when Shanks doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Moe Love Jr. to extend the lead to 5-3.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Colin Weathers recorded the final six outs to secure his first save of the season.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jonathan Germany (3-0) earned the win for Brevard, tossing seven innings and allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out six.

Brevard finished with nine hits, led by Shanks' 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored. Anders drove in two runs, while Bartolotti added two RBI.

The Tornados return to action on Saturday, March 28 to begin a three game series against NC Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. 

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-BC-