Zach Smith recorded his eighth victory and nationally third-ranked Mount Olive rebounded from a loss with a 13-2 non-conference baseball win Monday afternoon over Newberry in the opener of a doubleheader in Newberry, S.C. In the nightcap, Mount Olive (44-8) exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning as the Trojans head to postseason play with a 10-2 win. Junior catcher Geno Escalante extended his school-record hitting streak to 44 games with a pair of hits in the opener and an infield single in game two, while teammate Mike Mercurio was 9-for-11 with six RBI.

With the sweep, the Trojans now await their destination for the Southeast Regionals set for May 17-20. Seedings will be announced May 13.

The Trojans strengthened their position by avenging Sunday's loss at Newberry. In the nightcap, the Trojans turned a 2-2 deadlock into a 10-2 victory. Behind a combined seven-hitter by Jake Moser (10-2) and Chris Hinton, Mount Olive kept the Wolves close until the Trojans' offense came alive with an eight-run sixth.

With one out in the inning, Jermaine Berry got things started with a single to center. The next eight batters reached base before Newberry could halt the rally. The Trojans needed just four hits in the inning. Three hit batsmen and three walks kept things going for Mount Olive. Antonio Callaway had a two-run single and Mercurio singled home a run as well.

Mercurio accounted for four of the Trojans' 11 hits. His two-out single in the second put Mount Olive ahead 2-0. Callaway and Berry added two hits apiece.

On the mound, Moser tossed six innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. Hinton followed with a scoreless seventh.

In the opener, the Trojans needed no dramatics. Mercurio had five of the Trojans' 20 hits, driving in three. Seventeen of the team's hits were singles.

Mount Olive took a 3-0 lead into the top of the fourth. Nine batters came to the plate as the Trojans blew the game open with a four-run outburst. Bryan Dunlavey, Mercurio, Callaway and Escalante each singled home a run. An inning later, the Trojans tacked on three more on singles by Mercurio and Callaway.

Eleven different batters recorded at least one hit in the contest, including three by Cameron Sherrer. Braden Reitano also had a two-hit game, while Daniel Coffey came off the bench with a two-run triple.

On the mound, Smith tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out four. Skylar Sopotnick and Barinder Rakkar each tossed an inning of effective relief.

The Trojans head into the Regionals having won 37 out of 41 games since beginning Conference Carolinas play in early March. They also bring one of the nation's most potent offenses, including an attack that batted .354 as a team, second in the country. Mount Olive also led the nation with 523 runs scored, 58 more than second place Tusculum, which played six more games.

Individually, Mount Olive boasts the eighth best hitter in the country in Escalante (.431). His 44-game hitting streak is a school record and now holds the fifth-longest such streak in Division II history.