FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist University baseball team scored six times
in the first three innings and rolled to a 7-0 win over Lawrence University
on Thursday night.
Methodist (16-7) had only six hits but took advantage of 11 walks issued by Lawrence pitching. Five Methodist pitchers combined for the shutout, as Lawrence (0-7) had eight hits. Bryan Rosen and Frank Forseth both went 2-for-4 for the Vikings.
The Monarchs scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the first, as Lawrence starter Kevin Penza walked four batters in the first. Penza walked two more batters in the second and committed an error before he was relieved by Ben Webster. Methodist scored three times in the second with only one hit, Seth Kivett's run-scoring single, to lead 4-0 after two innings.
Two walks and two wild pitches helped Methodist score two more runs in the third with the benefit of only one hit. The Monarchs added a run in the fifth to complete the scoring.
The lone bright spot for the Vikings was the relief pitching of freshman Luke Kostreva. He went 3 1/3 innings and allowed two hits and no runs. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter.