Misenheimer, N.C. – The Southern Virginia University baseball team opened postseason play in impressive fashion, defeating reigning USA South champion Methodist University, 8-2.

The Knights avenged last year's semifinal loss to the Monarchs behind a dominant pitching performance and a season-high four home runs.

On the mound, Zack Geertsen delivered a complete game, allowing just two runs while shutting down the Methodist offense over the final five innings.

Southern Virginia got off to a fast start in the first inning when Seth Lloyd launched a home run to center field—his second of the season—to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. Methodist answered in the bottom half with two runs to take a 2-1 advantage, but those would be the Monarchs' only runs of the game.

Geertsen helped his own cause in the third inning, tying the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly that scored Marcelino Leonardo Jr., who had reached on a single earlier in the inning.

The score remained deadlocked until the sixth, when Mason Jones broke the tie with a two-run home run to left field, putting the Knights ahead 4-2.

Geertsen continued to deal on the mound, allowing just one hit over the final five innings to keep the Knights in control.

Southern Virginia sealed the victory in the ninth inning, as both Geertsen and Jones added two-run home runs to extend the lead to 8-2.

The Knights look to continue this momentum as they advance to face Pfeiffer on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 3:30 PM. 

For the latest updates on Southern Virginia University baseball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.