Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Fayetteville, NC - The Piedmont College baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader earlier today at Methodist University with the Lions taking game one 4-2 before the Monarchs won game two 5-3.  The two teams moved to identical 10-3 records overall as well as 4-1 marks in conference play, but something will have to give in the rubber game between the pair which is set for a 2:00 pm first pitch on Sunday afternoon.

Game one was a see-saw affair as the two teams combined to post single runs in alternating innings from the 4th to 7th with Piedmont scoring first on a sac bunt from Zack Johnson that plated Breck Davidson.  After a Methodist score in the 5th, Piedmont would score again in the 6th on another sacrifice as Michael Barnes flew out to left to put PC up 2-1 only to see the Monarchs tie it up in the next frame.

In the Piedmont 8th, three straight singles loaded the bases for the visitors representing one of their best offensive chances of the opener with the third baseman Barnes coming up to the plate.  Barnes put one in play to the mound, but an error from Methodist pitcher Travis Johns allowed Barnes to reach safely and Josh Bailey to score after Bailey led off the inning with a single to left center.

After a solid start from senior pitcher Matt Lisk who went seven complete allowing just six hits and a pair of runs, the ball was turned over to Allen Tokarz in the 8th, the man who handed Piedmont skipper Jim Peeples his 300th win this past Sunday.  Striking out the first two hitters he saw, Tokarz looked to be cruising before allowing back-to-back singles to bring the go-ahead run for Methodist up to the plate.  

However, as cool as the other side of the pillow, Tokarz calmly struck out Methodist hitter Cody Molosky to end the 8th and get out of trouble preserving the Lions' 4-2 lead.  A leadoff single in the 9th was no trouble either for Tokarz who sat down the next three he saw to collect his second save of the season and give PC the two-run victory in game one.

In the encore, Piedmont trailed by three after three innings before Barnes was able to score in the PC 5th to trim the Methodist lead down to two runs.  However, the Monarchs would double their lead in the next inning as a Piedmont error proved costly leading to the Methodist offense in the 6th.

The Lions would get a run back in the 7th and the 9th as back-to-back walks led off the final inning for the Green and Gold as they looked to rally late.  With Barnes and Johnson aboard after the two straight base on balls, Methodist picked a key double play to get two big outs and limit the damage as PC had brought the tying run to the plate in the inning.  Unable to pull off the three-run 9th, Piedmont would only get one on the way to a 5-3 loss in game two.

Getting the loss in game two was the freshman Preston Graham as he went five and a third allowing six hits and five runs overall though only one of those was earned on the day.

Four different Lions accounted for RBIs on the day including Barnes, Johnson, Daniel Lindsey, and Austin Brick.  Breck Davidson was four for eight including a double to lead the team in average as he is now ten for his last 16 dating back to the beginning of the Greensboro series.

The split puts Piedmont now at 10-3 overall and moves the Lions to 4-1 in conference play.  The game one win for PC snapped a six-game winning streak for the Monarchs who came into Saturday red hot having swept Averett University in a conference series last weekend.

PC now will have to win Sunday afternoon's matchup between the two to take two of three in the series.  The finale of the three-game weekend set with Methodist is set for 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 9th and live stats as well as video coverage will be provided courtesy of the Office of Sports Information at Methodist University.