Mount Olive junior Mike Mercurio slugged a grand slam and drove in seven, while Zach Smith held Lenoir-Rhyne to just one hit over six innings as the Trojans completed a three-game sweep with a 16-1 rout Sunday afternoon at Scarborough Field. Mercurio's slam highlighted a 16-hit attack for Mount Olive (3-0).

The transfer from High Point University opened the game with a single and scored the Trojans' first run off Bear starter Ryan Jones (1-1). Jones could not survive the third inning. In the first frame alone, all seven batters he faced reached base. Six singles, two of which fell harmlessly between Lenoir-Rhyne fielders.

Only two runners Jones picked off and another who was hit by a batted ball kept the inning from being a bigger one for Mount Olive. Geno Escalante, Jacob Rogers, Antonio Callaway and Jermaine Berry each delivered RBI-singles in the 4-0 uprising.

That was more than enough for Trojan starter Zach Smith. Smith retired the first 10 batters he faced before an error gave Lenoir-Rhyne life. An inning later, Colton Hansley benefited from a strong breeze blowing out to right field for a lead-off home run. It was the only hit Smith allowed.

By the time Hansley broke up the shutout, the Trojans had an 11-run cushion.

The Trojans added two in the second inning when Daniel Oliver led off with a single and raced to third on a double by Will Bynum. Mercurio brought home both runners with a single to center.

Mount olive chased Jones in the third when Callaway and Berry walked. Oliver followed with a single to drive in one run, then Bynum and Mercurio pulled off a double steal. When Rogers' fly ball was dropped in left field, the lead grew to 11-0.

In the sixth, Mercurio completed his seven-RBI performance with a blast down the right field line. Rogers and Reitano singled and Callaway walked ahead of the homer. Daniel Coffey added a sacrifice fly in the inning.

The Trojans got three shutout innings of relief from Skylar Sopotnick, Justin Weaver and Chris Hinton.

Mount Olive returns to action next weekend when the Trojans travel to Wingate, N.C. for a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, and will finish the set Sunday at 1 p.m. with a single game.