Despite the second complete game of junior pitcher Connor Dillman's career and three-hit efforts from junior Brett Lake, senior Jared Welch and freshman Philip Maldari, Emory University could not muster a run on Saturday afternoon, as the Eagles fell to Methodist University 1-0 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Emory outhit Methodist 13-5 in the game, but lacked the big hit in the contest, and grounded into three inning-ending double plays.  The Eagles totaled 14 runners left on base in the game.

Dillman was the tough-luck loser for the Eagles, falling to 1-1 on the season, despite delivering eight innings of five-hit baseball, striking out four and walking four.  The Monarchs scored the game's lone tally in the second inning, when the leadoff batter Tyler Hardee walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Lucas Scott single with two outs.

Dillman lowered his ERA to 1.45 through three starts this season with the effort, and opponents are batting just .197 against the righty.  It was the first complete game by an Eagle since sophomore Paul Merolla went the distance in a 9-4 win over Brandeis University on March 15^th, 2013 and the first for Dillman since he threw a complete-game shutout against Brandeis in a 6-0 win on March 11^th, 2012.

Three Methodist pitchers combined on the shutout, with Travis Johnson (1-0) going 5.1 innings in relief to earn the win, while Josh Ayers pitched the final three to get his second save of the season.  Emory made a late push against Ayers, putting two runners on base in the top of the ninth, but could not plate the game-tying run.

Lake and Welch were each three-for-four in the game, as Lake extended his hitting streak to 10 games, dating back to the 2013 campaign.  Lake has multiple hits in eight of Emory's nine games this year and is leading all Emory players with a .568 batting average.

Maldari added a three-for-three performance, including a sixth-inning double – the only extra-base hit for either team in the contest.  Senior Brandon Hannon was two-for-four with a stolen base, his fifth of the year and 27^th-consecutive steal without being caught.

Emory and Methodist will wrap-up their weekend series on Sunday at 2:00 PM in Fayetteville, NC.