WILSON, N.C. - The No. 5 University of Mount Olive baseball team opened the 2021 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship with a 13-4 victory over the Tornado of King University in Wilson, N.C. Thursday night. UMO improves to 33-8 overall, while King goes to 14-23 and falls into the losers bracket.

GAME INFORMATION
Mount Olive opened the game up scoring first in the second with Alan Alonso singling into center, scoring Jack Casbarro for the first run. Dusty Baker plated the second run with a double and the scoring got underway.

After the third UMO led 3-0 and King drew to within one with a two-run shot in the fourth. 

UMO never surrendered the two-run cushion as King struck for a single run in the fifth and Mount Olive exploded for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning including home runs by Vito Patierno, Aaron Hedgepeth, and Zach Smith and the Trojans led 12-3.

The two teams did not make more progress as the game ended with UMO taking the game win 13-4 and advances in the winner's bracket game versus Belmont Abbey tomorrow.

TROJAN LEADERS
Vito Patierno led the Trojans with four RBI. Reed Parris (8-2) earned the win allowing three runs off seven hits and struck out 10 over six innings. Steven Worley was credited with a save completing the final three innings allowing five hits and one run with one strikeout.

KING LEADERS
Austin Myer collected two RBI and two base hits to lead the way for the Tornado.

KEY MOMENT
The seven-run three home run fifth inning proved to be the deciding blow in the game the blew open the ball game for the Trojans.

ON DECK
Mount Olive will continue play in the 2021 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championships, with the No. 4 seed Belmont Abbey on Friday at 3 p.m. in Wilson, N.C the neutral site host for the Championships.