Geno Escalante became the third player in Mount Olive history and the second in less than three weeks to hit for the cycle as the nationally 27th-ranked Trojans defeated Virginia State 20-5 in non-conference baseball Tuesday at Scarborough Field. Cameron Sherrer added five runs batted in, while Jermaine Berry and Jacob Rogers scored four runs apiece as the Trojans reached the 20-run mark for the second time this season.

After going down in order in the first inning, Mount Olive (14-6) scored in every inning afterwards. Mike Mercurio's two-run single capped a four-run second inning and Sherrer's two-run triple finished a four-run third inning. The Trojans added three runs in the fourth without benefit of a hit as a bases-loaded walk, a wild pitch and a passed ball extended Mount Olive's lead to 11-1.

Sherrer's two-run single triggered a three-run sixth inning and his sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth brought home Mount Olive's 20th run. Adam Currin, who took over for Escalante behind the plate, doubled home two runs in the eighth.

Escalante performed the rare feat of not only hitting for the cycle, but doing it in ascending order: single, double, triple, home run.

Escalante led off the bottom of the second with a single for Mount Olive's first hit of the game and eventually came around to score the first run of the game. In the third inning, Escalante doubled home Rogers for the first run of the inning.

In the fifth, Escalante belted a two-out triple to left-center to drive in Rogers again. He was waved around third, but Virginia State shortstop Nick Christopher's relay beat Escalante to the plate.

Being denied an inside-the-park home run turned out to be a blessing disguise as Escalante led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to complete the cycle. Escalante drilled a 2-0 pitch high over the left field fence for his third home run of the season.

Braden Reitano, who drew three walks and scored three runs Tuesday, became the first Trojan to hit for the cycle at Scarborough Field and in Conference Carolinas play on February 25. Reitano recorded his cycle in Mount Olive's 21-7 victory over Belmont Abbey.

No player had hit for the cycle in the first 30-plus year history of Trojan baseball until Michael Knox achieved the first cycle February 15, 2011, in a 12-5 win at North Carolina Wesleyan.

Virginia State (8-8) had at least one baserunner in each of the first seven innings, but left 11 baserunners stranded. VSU got on the scoreboard in the third inning on John McCarty's two-out rbi-single. Tyler Coleman drove in a run in the fifth on a groundout and the Trojans added three runs in the top of the seventh without a hit.

Mount Olive freshman Garinder Rakkar got his first start on the mound and limited Virginia State to an unearned run on four hits through four innings, but came out with nobody out in the top of the fifth after hitting a batter and issuing a walk. Zach Smith (3-2) retired all three batters he faced on groundouts and got credit for the win. Five additional relief pitchers finished the game and held Virginia State hitless the rest of the way.

Chris Hinton entered the game in the top of the seventh with nobody out and the bases loaded, retiring all three batters he faced. Skyler Sopotnick pitched a perfect eighth and Josh Frederick did the same in the ninth, each striking out two.

Colin Reeves (0-1) also made his first collegiate start for Virginia State. Reeves retired the top third of the Mount Olive lineup on just seven pitches in the bottom of the first, including a three-pitch called strikeout. He went 3 2/3 innings before being lifted in the fourth. Reliever Rodell Stewart pitched the final 4 1/3 innings, throwing 103 pitches.

Mount Olive completes its seven-game homestand as the Trojans play host to California (Pa.) Thursday for the second time in seven days. The Trojans defeated California 12-3 last Thursday. Game time has been pushed back an hour to 2 p.m. at Scarborough Field.