FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Starting pitcher John Eric Cortez pitched seven strong innings in leading the McMurry University baseball team to a 4-3 win at Methodist University. It was the second-consecutive victory for the War Hawks (3-2) and a season-opening loss for the Monarchs (0-1).
 
Cortez cruised along and was never threatened, allowing just one hit. Cortez struck out two and walked just one over his stint. The McM sophomore right-hander had a no-hitter going for 5 1/3 innings, until MU's Steven Nalls slapped a 1-2 pitch up the middle for the only hit he would allow.
 
The McMurry batters staked Cortez to an early 2-0 lead with a apir of runs in the top half of the third. Ricky Garcia opened the frame with a single to right. With Nick Marsh at the plate, back-to-back wild pitches by Monarch starter Rett Lee allowed Garcia to move up to third base.
 
Marsh then hit a slow roller on the left side for a infield single that plated Garcia with the first run of the afternoon. With one out and Kyle Sargent at bat, Marsh stole second and took third on an error by the MU shortstop fielding the throw. Sargent would ground out, allowing Marsh to trot home and make it 2-0 in favor of McM.
 
In the top of the seventh, McMurry struck twice more, thanks to a pair of miscues by Methodist. Zack Hagan and Garcia both reached after consecutive errors by MU to open the inning, and both moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Marsh. Patrick Adams' two-run single to right made it 4-0, before the Monarchs were able to retire McM.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Corey Bynum was summoned by head coach John Byington in relief of Cortez. Bynum walked the first man he faced, induced a ground out from the next batter and saw the third Monarch he faced reach on an error.  A fielder's choice ruined McMurry's shutout bid to make it 4-1, followed by a single that put runners on the corners and chased Bynum.
 
Ben Bates was greeted by a triple off the bat of catcher Chris Power, that cut the War Hawks' lead to 4-3. Both RBI by Powers were charged to Bynum, before Bates collected the final out of the eighth.
 
McMurry went 1-2-3 in the ninth, before Ricky Lopez took the hill for the ninth to try to preserve the win.  After getting the first out, Alex Rodriguez doubled to left. That put the potential tying run in scoring position and winning run at the plate.
 
But Lopez got Colin Ford and Pete Wildeboer to both ground out and put the game in the War Hawks "W" column. It was Lopez's first save of the season, while Cortez got the win (1-0).
 
Adams was 2-for-4 with the two runs batted in, leading McM's eight-hit attack. Garcia and Marsh both went 1-for-3, with Garcia scoring twice and Marsh once. Ben Douglas (1-for-4) had a double for McMurry's lone extra-base hit.
 
The War Hawks will face Christopher Newport University on Saturday (noon Eastern time) in Fayetteville.