Jacob Rogers belted a pair of two-run homers and Matt Dillon allowed only three hits in six innings as nationally 28th-ranked Mount Olive salvaged a split with a 12-2 win over King in game two of a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader Saturday at Scarborough Field. Antonio Callaway went 2-for-2 with four runs scored and reached base in all nine plate appearances in the doubleheader.
Callaway, who has 14 hits in his last 19 at bats (.737), went 2-for-2 with two walks and reached on an error in game one. Callaway was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the nightcap as well. This week's Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Week, Callaway has 11 runs scored and 10 rbi's in his last six games.
The Trojans dropped the opener 10-4 as a six-run ninth inning broke open a one-run game. Trojan starter Jake Moser recorded a season-high nine strikeouts, but suffered his first loss of the season. The loss snapped Mount Olive's four-game winning streak, as well as the Trojans' streak of four consecutive games scoring at least 10 runs. Cody Snyder led King's 15-hit attack with three hits, while relief pitcher Wesley Houser limited the Trojans to a single run in three innings for the win.
After being held to just six hits in the opener, Mount Olive (12-6, 5-2 Conference Carolinas) erupted for seven hits in a four-run first inning in game two. Mike Mercurio led off with a single and scored from first on Callaway's hit-and-run double. Rogers fought back from a two-strike count and sent a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field fence to stake the Trojans to a 3-0 lead just three batters into the inning.
Geno Escalante singled for Mount Olive's fourth straight hit, but King starter Cory Rhodes (3-1) induced a 4-6-3 double play for the first outs of the inning. Braden Reitano kept the inning alive with a two-out double down the left field line and scored the final run of the inning on a single by Nick Gaeta, his first of three hits in the game.
Jermaine Berry hit a two-out bases-loaded two-run single in the second, while Gaeta and Cameron Sherrer singled in runs in a three-run fourth inning as the Trojans built a 9-2 lead. After Callaway led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, Rogers blasted a pitch high over the right field fence to extend the Trojans' lead to 11-2.
Rogers, who had a two-home run performance against Belmont Abbey two weeks ago, now has six home runs in 18 games this season. Rogers has already surpassed his 2011 total of four homers.
Dillon (2-0) retired the side in order in each of the first two innings before Danny Laperna drew a leadoff walk in the third. Dillon retired the next two batters on a line out and strikeout, while Escalante threw Laperna out attempting to steal second.
In the fourth inning, Dillon hit a batter to lead off the inning and issued a one-out walk. The next batter struck out, but Hunter Smith broke up Dillon's no-hit and shutout bids with a two-run double down the left field line.
Dillon recorded three strikeouts in the fifth and overcame a pair of singles to get out of a one-out jam in the sixth. He finished with seven strikeouts. Reliever Nolan Lancaster escaped trouble in the seventh with a 5-3 double play.
King (12-8, 5-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Bryant Walker's rbi-double capped a string of three consecutive one-out hits and Carl Roberts eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Moser (4-1) allowed a double and a walk to start the second inning, but helped himself defensively for the first two outs of the inning. Moser threw the lead runner out at third on a sacrifice attempt, then recovered after having the glove knocked out of his hand to throw the batter out at first. Moser ended the threat with a flyout to center and struck out the side in the fourth.
The Trojans tied the game with single runs in the third and fourth innings without benefit of a run batted in. Mount Olive loaded the bases in the third and Rogers scored on a wild pitch. In the fourth inning, Bryan Dunlavey scored from home when he and Reitano executed a double steal.
Mount Olive took its first lead in the fifth as Callaway drew a two-out walk and stole second. Sherrer singled Callaway home to put the Trojans on top 3-2.
King tied the game in the seventh on Roberts' sacrifice fly and went ahead to stay in the eighth on an rbi-double by Blanton, his second double of the game. Moser came out of the game with one out in the eighth.
Three Trojan relievers allowed two runs apiece in the ninth inning as the Tornado put the game away. A wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk brought in the first two runs of the inning. Tyler Gaby, a late-game substitution, cleared the bases with a three-run double.
Mount Olive, which had only four singles through eight innings, added a run in the bottom of the ninth on doubles by Rogers and Callaway.
Houser (3-2) allowed only the two ninth-inning hits and walked none. Tornado starter Reiss Stanley limited Mount Olive to four hits, but was taken out after just five innings when his pitch count reached 113 pitches.
The two teams conclude their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. at Scarborough Field. Live Video is available for the contest.
