FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball Marlins produced a four-run third inning Wednesday and rode it to an 8-4 victory over the host Monarchs of Methodist University.

Methodist (7-6), which pinned a 9-2 loss on Old Dominion Athletic Conference title favorite Randolph-Macon College earlier this season, led 2-1 after the first inning, and 5-3 after three.  But, the visiting Marlins tacked on a run in the fifth and two in the eighth to help post the road win.

Senior Anthony Siracusa (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) and rookie Alex Lambert (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes) both connected for three hits to spark the Marlins, and semopr Bryant Liberta (Newport News, Va./Menchville) added two hits, driving in three runs.

Siracusa started on the mound for the Marlins, and worked one inning, before rookie Dylan Stoskus (Ashburn, Va./Arlington) stepped in.  He was followed by sophomore Reid Hoffler (Chesapeake, Va./Suffolk Nansemond River) and rookie Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) followed.  Stoskus worked the first four innings, striking out one, walking one, and allowing eight hits and three earned runs.  Hoffler, who took the win, entered in the fifth and allowed just one hit, and Tucci entered in the sixth to finish.  He struck out two batters, walked one and gave up three hits and an earned run.

VWC's big third inning started to take shape when Josh Horn (Virginia Beach/Bayside) reached base on a throwing error.  Lambert followed with a single and both runners advanced when Siracusa grounded out for the second out of the inning. Liberta kept things going with an RBI single to shortstop, junior Josh Miller (Norfolk, Va./Chesapeake Greenbrier Christian) took a base after being hit by a pitch, and the Marlins scored again when Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) reached on a fielding error.  The big hit followed when Billy Crowe (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) connected for a double down the left line, scoring two runs.

Methodist added a run in the bottom of the inning, but VWC got it back in the top of the fifth. Siracusa singled to left center, stole second, moved to third on a base-loading walk to Sutryk, and scored on a wild pitch.

VWC made it an 8-3 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth, aided by singles from Siracusa and Liberta.

Michael Inman (Tar Heel, N.C./West Bladen) started on the mound for Methodist, which used six pitchers overall.  Tyler Younger (Chatham, Va./Chatham) and Brian Armstrong (Stuart, Fla./Jensen Beach) led the Methodist offense with three hits each.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, March 3, opening ODAC competition against the Hampden-Sydney Tigers.  The twinbill begins at noon at Marlins Field.

--AMDG--