FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Scoring four in the first then two in the fifth, the pitching of the Guilford College baseball team (13-15, 3-9 ODAC), made the run support work to sneak past Methodist University (12-17, 7-5 USA South), 6-5, at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Tuesday evening.

While he only lasted 4.0 innings, Jonathan Sendziak (McLeansville, N.C.) turned in arguably his top start as a Quaker, allowing four runs but just one of them earned on four hits and a walk, reigning in the command issues that have plagued him to fan five although it was in a no decision. John Yarnovich (Summerfield, N.C.) instead got credited with the victory, allowing one run over the following 3.0 frames, on two hits and a walk, fanning one to improve to 3-0. Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.) locked down his first collegiate save with a scoreless ninth.

Bryson Pope had a tough day, failing to escape the first inning for Methodist after allowing six hits and a walk leading to four runs over just 0.2 innings, but his offense got him off the hook for a no decision. Paul Olive ended up suffering the defeat in relief, permitting two runs over 0.2 innings by way of two hits and four walks, falling to 0-1.

Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) provided half the Quakers offense on one swing, blasting a three-run homerun to spark a 4-5 evening. The only other man with multiple hits for GC was Gavin Fleming (Gibsonville, N.C.) who stayed hot with a 2-5 contest with a run scored. Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) plated a tally with his lone hit in a 1-2 game as well. Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) scored twice finishing 1-4 with a walk. 

Brandon Mauger was the only Monarch with multiple hits in the game, going 2-5 with a double and an RBI. Kade Bell and Keegan Megaro each went 1-4 with an extra-base hit and a run scored with Bell hitting a triple and Megaro bashing a two-bagger. Ethan Golemo went 1-3, getting plunked, scoring a run and driving in one in the game.

The Quakers were all over Pope virtually from pitch one. Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) led off by working a seven-pitch walk then Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) stayed scalding hot, hooking one inside the leftfield line for a double, putting two in scoring position. Dark cashed in, bashing an 0-1 pitch down the rightfield line and out for his second homer of the season. GC was not done, either, as after the first out, Smith and Fleming picked up consecutive hits before the second out. Christian Chinen (Honolulu, Hawaii) extended the frame, beating out an infield hit and George took advantage ripping a single through the left side, and while a pitching change brought about the end of the inning, Guilford had mounted a 4-0 lead before a Monarch picked up a bat.

Sendziak cruised through the first couple frames, before MU got on the board thanks to a Bell triple followed by a Mauger double in the third but GC's defense really opened the door for an MU rally in the fourth. Blake Freeman and Megaro got the frame started by reaching on errors then Golemo drove in a run on a grounder that also glanced off leather, albeit for a hit. A walk loaded the bases, a fielders choice brought in a run then a first-and-third double steal leveled the score and just like that, the game was tied at four-all.

The Quakers did reclaim the lead right back in the top of the fifth. Dark opened the frame with his third knock, a single, although he was thrown out trying to steal second. Instead, subsequent walks drawn by Dominic Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) and Smith then a single by Fleming filled the bags. A wild pitch allowed Pegues to score then Myers extended the edge with a sacrifice fly before Chinen worked a free pass and Cole Price (Summerfield, N.C.) won an eight-pitch battle to walk and reload the bases. While nothing more came of the threat following a pitching change, GC was in front again, 6-4.

MU cobbled together a run in Yarnovich's third inning of work, the seventh, taking a two-out walk then singles by Mauger and Israel Ortiz, but that was as close as they would get. Hayden Sekanick (Tampa, Fla.) tossed a flawless eighth for a hold before Barwick walked a man but shut it down in the ninth to finish the 6-5 win.

GC returns to play tomorrow night in Charlotte, battling Johnson & Wales University (N.C.) for the first time as NCAA cohorts on Wednesday, April 8^th at 6:00 PM.

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