Junior transfer Geno Escalante homered and drove in five runs in his Trojan debut as nationally fifth-ranked Mount Olive opened the 2012 baseball season with a 9-5 win over Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday in game one of a non-conference doubleheader at Scarborough Field. In the nightcap, Daniel Oliver made a leaping catch behind the first base bag for the final out of the game with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position as the Trojans held on for a 7-6 win.

In the opener, Escalante singled home a run in the first, then slammed a three-run blast to left field in the fourth put his team ahead for good.

Escalante became the first Trojan to homer in his first game with the team since Scott Houin and Jason Sherrer both homered in the 2007 season opener.

Mount Olive (1-0) greeted Bear starter Billy Everding (0-1) with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Patrone, then raced home on Escalante's single to left.

Lenoir-Rhyne (1-1) came back in the top of the second, taking advantage of two walks and an error to score four unearned runs. Trojan starter Jake Moser (1-0) was one strike away from getting out of the inning unscathed, but an error allowed the tying run to cross the plate and leaving the bases loaded for Dalton Hall. Hall then cleared the bags with a double to the centerfield fence.

Moser settled down to keep the Bears off the scoreboard before giving way to reliever Talton Cherry in the sixth.

Mount Olive cut away at the 4-1 deficit with single runs in the second and third. Escalante walked with the bases loaded to force in Will Bynum. In the third, Bradon Reitano singled to open the frame, then stole second, avoiding the tag of second baseman Mike Gasque in the process. Reitano scored moments later on a single to right by Jermaine Berry.

The Trojans took command in the fourth when Mercurio and Petrone singled ahead of Escalante's homer. That was more than enough for Moser and Cherry, who limited the Bears to a single run the rest of the way.

Mount Olive added two insurance runs in the seventh on two-out RBI-singles by Will Bynum and Mercurio. Callaway added a two-out, RBI-single in the eighth. Cherry tossed four innings for his first save of the season.

In the nightcap, Nick Gaeta hit his first home run as a Trojan as Mount Olive (2-0) rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Gaeta and Jake Rogers had two hits apiece in support of reliever Nolan Lancaster. Lancaster came in with Mount Olive trailing in the top of the third. Over the next three and one-thirds, the right-hander held the Bears to just two hits.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Trojans started to rally. Gaeta singled with one out, then Patrone, Mercurio and Rogers delivered two-out singles. An error and a wild pitch allowed Mount Olive to pull within 4-3. The Trojans stayed within a run thanks to a diving catch on the warning track by Callaway in the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, Gaeta tied the game with a lead-off blast to right field. Patrone followed with a walk, then Mercurio's hustle allowed him to beat a throw to second base on a fielder's choice. Rogers then delivered the go-ahead run with a single to center. Mercurio scored on a wild pitch for a 7-4 lead.

Mount Olive held the Bears until the seventh when a pair of errors brought home two unearned runs. Relief pitcher Matt Dillon faced runners on second and third when Landon Elks ripped a liner down the first base line. Oliver, just into the game for defense, stretch his 6-foot-4 frame to his length to end the game.

The teams complete their three-game series Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.