MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 19) – The No. 12 University of Mount Olive baseball team rallied in the bottom of the ninth before securing the 2-1 walk-off victory over Emmanuel in extra innings to win the conference opening series on Sunday afternoon at Scarborough Field.

With the win, the Trojans improve to 5-2 this season behind a 2-1 mark in conference action. All three games during the season-opening series were decided by one run with a pair of walk-off wins by UMO. Meanwhile, the Lions drop to 6-6 overall with a 1-2 mark in league play.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Trojans were down to their last out when junior Jackson Taylor laced a single up the middle. Freshman Davis Halstead entered the game as a pinch-runner before senior pinch-hitter David Cucci delivered a clutch RBI double down the left-field line to tie the game at 1-1. In the 11th frame, junior Alden Cottle reached base on a fielder's choice before sophomore Cooper George produced a single through the right side to put runners on the corner. With two outs, redshirt sophomore Case Kermode registered a walk-off single up the middle, as Mount Olive recorded the walk-off win, 2-1.

Junior Justin Koehler improved to 2-0 on the year after tossing 1.0 scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout. Senior Dawson Gause posted a no-decision after yielding one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts and two walks over 5.0 innings pitched in the start. Freshman William Pennington registered 3.1 innings of scoreless relief while surrendering just one hit after facing 14 batters, while junior Hayden Myrick produced another scoreless appearance over 1.2 innings pitched.

The Trojans return to the field on Tuesday, Feb. 21, for a single nine-inning non-conference game at Catawba, starting at 3 p.m.