Derek Justice pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, while back-to-back rbi-doubles in the sixth inning by Mike Mercurio and Antonio Callaway put Mount Olive ahead to stay as the nationally fifth-ranked Trojans rallied from a three-run deficit for an 8-5 win over Chowan in non-conference baseball Tuesday at Scarborough Field. Jacob Rogers drove in three runs as the Trojans extended their winning streak to 17.

Mount Olive (28-6) trailed 5-2 going into the bottom of the fifth when Mercurio and Callaway led off the inning with singles. Rogers took advantage of a dropped foul ball and doubled to right to bring in both runners and pull the Trojans within 5-4. Chowan starter Evan Hart (1-1) kept the Hawks in the lead with a strikeout and two flyouts, but got into trouble in the sixth when his pitch count surpassed the 100-pitch mark.

Will Bynum singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth, stole second and scored the tying run on Mercurio's double off the left field fence. Callaway put the Trojans ahead to stay with a ground ball double just inside the left field line to drive in Mercurio. Rogers followed with an rbi-single.

Justice (2-0) entered the game with one out in the top of the fifth and the bases loaded. Chowan (19-19) had already scored two runs in the inning on a bases loaded single and a bases loaded walk. Justin Bagby greeted Justice with a two-run single and the Hawks capped the five-run fifth inning with an rbi-fielder's choice to take a 5-2 lead. All five runs were charged to Trojan starter Skyler Sopotnick, who had taken a two-hit shutout into the fifth.

Justice went on to retire 12 of the final 14 batters he faced, striking out five of seven batters during one stretch. Justice allowed only two hits while striking out six and walking one.

Mount Olive took an early 2-0 lead on single runs in each of the first two innings. Jermaine Berry's rbi-single capped a two-out rally in the first and Nick Gaeta scored on Mercurio's sacrifice fly after leading off the second with a double.

The two teams conclude the two-game series with a single game Wednesday at Scarborough Field. Game time has been pushed back an hour to 4 p.m. Live Video is available.