WINCHESTER, Va. – Methodist University clinched the top seed at next week's USA South Conference baseball tournament with a 11-4 victory over host Shenandoah University Saturday afternoon at chilly Bridgeforth Field.

Methodist (23-8, 7-5 USA South) will share the regular season title with Ferrum and NC Wesleyan, who defeated Averett and CNU, respectively, but earns the No. 1 seed by virtue of the league's tie-breaker.

The loss means Shenandoah (20-10, 5-7 USA South) will be the sixth seed at next week's conference tournament. The Hornets will play seventh-seeded Greensboro in Thursday's opening game with the winner taking on Methodist in the second round.

The tournament bracket will be announced later Saturday.

The Monarchs rallied from a pair of two-run deficits before exploding for seven runs in the top of the ninth inning off three different SU pitchers. All seven runs came with two outs.

Brian Halpin plated with what proved to be the winning run when he hit a sinking liner to centerfield that Ryan Anderson wasn't able to catch up to. Halpin drove the two-strike pitch just in front of the on-rushing Anderson to score both Steve Cornelius and Phil Betterly from second and third, respectively.

Betterly was running for designated hitter Mike Ellsworth, who got the rally started with a one-out single to right center. Cornelius following with a single through the right side and after a Scott Russell strikeout and a walk to Andy Redman, Halpin stepped to the plate against reliever Rhys Wolford (3-3).

The hit started a stretch in which six straight MU hitters reached base safely with five of them getting hits and four driving in runs.

Freshman Colin Michael finally ended it by striking out Cornelius, the 12th man to come to the plate in the inning.

The offense made a winner of Chris Toth (6-3), who allowed four runs on 13 hits and one walk in the complete game showing. Toth found himself down 2-0 after five and 4-2 after seven, but his teammates rallied for him each time.

Shenandoah scored its first two runs by working through some base running errors to stage a two-out rally in the fifth. 

After posting the first out on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt and the second on a caught stealing, Scott Lambert lined a single to left to plate Preston Tarleton from second base. Daniel Ziccardy, who had singled behind Tarleton, advanced to third on the hit as Lambert moved up on the relay.

Methodist attempted to cut down Lambert at second, and after he was called safe on a close play, Ziccardy took advantage of the Monarchs displeasure with the call to steal home.

The Monarchs answered with a single runs in the sixth and seventh, but the Hornets once again took a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh.

David Jenkins and Anderson drove in those two runs with a single and a fielder's choice, respectively.

Lambert and Adam Kessel each had three hits for Shenandoah with Matt Hunt, Dustin Proctor, Ellsworth and Russell getting two each for the visitors. Proctor had a game-high three RBI.

Box Score