Box Score Fayetteville, NC - The Piedmont College baseball team was in a big spot earlier today facing a powerful Methodist Monarch squad in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series.  The Lions rode the solid pitching of starter Chris Goershel as well as business-like work from the pen to a tight 2-1 victory on the road to move to 5-1 in USA South action, good enough for second place in the league standings.

PC got the scoring going plating a pair in the top of the second as a leadoff walk for Evan Gresham proved costly as the big right fielder came across along with third baseman Michael Barnes later in the inning.  The scores gave Piedmont a 2-0 lead as they looked to swipe the decisive game between these two squads as they split a Saturday doubleheader yesterday afternoon to open the series.

The Monarchs had mustered just a pair of hits through four complete until a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth by Lucas Scott gave the home team life with a runner aboard and two outs to work with.  Scott stole second to put even more pressure on Piedmont starter Chris Goershel, but the junior hurler responded well as he struck out the next two Monarchs getting Steven Kirby swinging before catching Joe LeNoir looking to get out of the inning and outlast Methodist starter Josh Howard who went five innings with a pair of runs given up on just three hits.

Goershel appeared to have run into trouble in the 6th as well when leadoff hitter Pete Wildeboer took an 0-2 offering into left for a base hit giving the Monarchs a runner aboard and no outs.  Once again, the Piedmont starter worked calmly and quickly to get his way out of a possible game-tying situation as he retired the next three in order to send PC out of the bottom of the inning with no harm.

The Piedmont starter finished his day after seven complete with just one run given up though it was not earned.  Goershel did not issue a single walk in his seven innings of work but did strike out five and allow only six total hits moving his record to a perfect 3-0 with the eventual win.

After a Josh Thomas three-up, three-down demonstration in the bottom of the 8th inning, Piedmont stood just three outs away from a crucial game three win with Jacob Brewster taking the ball in a save situation as PC led just 2-1 entering the 9th.  Handling the bottom of the 9th, Brewster retired three of the four batters he faced with the only runner aboard reaching after a hit-by-pitch.

Brewster collected the save on the afternoon, pitching just the one inning as he has now struck out nine in his six innings of work in 2014.  For Brewster, the save is the 4th of the season. 

PC was led in the series offensively by Evan Gresham and Breck Davidson as the two combined to go eight for 23 scoring four of Piedmont's nine runs on the weekend.  Catcher Austin Brick was the only Lion to account for multiple RBIs on the weekend as he collected two with three others collecting one each in Barnes, Zack Johnson, and Daniel Lindsey. 

With the tight one-run victory, Piedmont moves to 11-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play while Methodist drops to 10-4 and 4-2 in what is shaping up to be a tight race to the end in the USA South with each series becoming more important down the stretch.  PC trails only 8-1 Huntingdon in the league standings as the Hawks swept preseason conference favorite Covenant College this past weekend after the Scots were picked to win the league in the Preseason Coaches Poll.

Piedmont will now face the Little Giants of Wabash College this coming Tuesday in a mid-week affair at Loudermilk Field under the lights.  First pitch is set for 7:00 pm and live coverage will be provided courtesy of the Mane Event Broadcasting Network which features integrated live stats with a live video feed as well.