Fayetteville, N.C. — The Southern Virginia University baseball team wrapped up its season on Friday with a pair of tough losses to Methodist University in the USA South Conference Tournament semifinals. The high-powered Monarchs offense proved too much for the Knights, as Methodist advanced to the championship game after posting a combined 40 runs in the doubleheader.

Game 1: Methodist 22, Southern Virginia 7

The Knights came out strong in the first game, taking an early lead. Conner Robley opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run to left field. Seth Lloyd and Stockton Hall followed with back-to-back singles, and Garrett Stauffer moved both into scoring position. RBI singles from Mitch Smith and Benjamin Horsley capped a three-run first inning for Southern Virginia.

However, Methodist quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on a pair of walks, two singles, and a hit-by-pitch.

In the second inning, Robert Stempin drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a two-run home run by Zack Geertsen, extending the Knights' lead to 5-2.

From there, the Monarchs' bats took over. They exploded for seven runs in the third inning and followed it up with eight more in the fifth, eventually ending the game in seven innings with a 22-7 win. Methodist totaled 20 hits in the opener.

Game 2: Methodist 18, Southern Virginia 4

The Monarchs carried their momentum into game two, jumping out to a 14-0 lead through the first four innings.

Southern Virginia mounted a brief rally in the fourth, sparked by a leadoff walk from Mitch Smith and a single from Horsley. Marcelino Leonardo Jr. advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt before David Hunley and Ryan Farris delivered RBI singles. Geertsen then drove in two more with a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 14-4.

Unfortunately, the Methodist bullpen shut down the Knights' offense over the next three innings, allowing just one hit. Methodist added four more runs and closed out the game with an 18-4 victory.

Despite the tournament exit, Southern Virginia finishes the 2024 season with 15 wins, tying their highest win total in the last six years. The team also set a program record with 425 total hits, highlighting the strides made by the offense this year.

The Knights showed continued growth throughout the season and will look to build on their progress heading into 2025.

For the most up-to-date information on Southern Virginia University baseball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.