Fayetteville, N.C. - The Methodist University softball team handed North Carolina Wesleyan yet another late-inning league loss on Tuesday, coming from behind to down the Bishops by a 3-2 score in Fayetteville. Freshman hurler Kelsi Bailey suffered the loss, despite pitching out of several jams over the first six innings and stranding ten Monarch runners on the basepaths.
The Bishops took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning after plating a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Carly Creef drove in NCWC's first run with an infield single, while fellow sophomore Jessica Hodges singled, advanced to third on Creef's hit and later scored on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, Bailey registered the inning's first out by forcing a pop-up to second. The Monarchs then tallied back-to-back singles, followed by a fielder's choice that knotted the score at 2-2. Another single placed runners at second and third with two outs, prompting head coach John Bracket to bring in sophomore Leanna Fann. The Monarchs, however, would not be denied as a single to left brought around the winning run.
Creef was 2-for-4 to pace the Bishop offense.
Methodist had previously taken the opener by a 5-0 score as Jes Farmer recorded a two-hit shutout. Fann (7-4) suffered the loss, giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits and striking out four.
Wesleyan (10-10, 1-7 USA South) continues USA South play on Saturday when the Bishops host Mary Baldwin College at 2:00pm. Saturday will serve as both Parent's Day and Senior Day at Edge Field.