MOUNT OLIVE (Mar. 1) – Freshman Carson Gipson delivered an effective five innings in his first career start, as the Trojans swept the two-game series over Dominican University of New York with an 11-1 victory on Wednesday evening at Scarborough Field in non-conference action.

With the win, the University of Mount Olive baseball team improves to 10-3 overall with a 6-2 mark on their home field. The Trojans remain a perfect 8-0 in the series versus the Chargers dating back to the 2018 season. Meanwhile, Dominican falls to 1-5 this year and returns to Cary, North Carolina, for another four contests to wrap up its trip.

Gipson improved to 2-0 overall after yielding one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts and one walk over 5.0 innings in his first career start. A product of Charles B. Aycock, he faced 19 batters, forcing seven flyouts and four groundouts while retiring the side twice in the win. Senior Blake Gipson, sophomore Tristan Purser, junior Carson Hinnant, and senior Cole Newgaard all registered 1.0 scoreless inning of relief and combined for just two hits surrendered with four strikeouts on the mound.

In the bottom of the second inning, senior Gordon Pihl and junior Dylan Jeffries each delivered singles to center field with one out before a pair of wild pitches allowed Pihl to score, 1-0. Following a walk, junior Vito Patierno registered an RBI single to left field before senior Joshua Jones posted a sacrifice fly to center field, 3-0. With a runner on third, senior JT Stone ripped a double to right field to stretch the lead to 4-0 before consecutive walks loaded the bases. Graduate student Landon Choboy clutched a two-run single through the left side to extend the advantage to 6-0.

The Chargers cut into the deficit in the top of the third on an RBI groundout to trail 6-1 before the Trojans brought two more runs across in the bottom half of the frame. Mount Olive reached base on three-straight walks before Stone hit a sacrifice fly to center field to take a 7-1 advantage. After another walk reloaded the bases, Patierno scored a wild pitch, 8-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Stone came to the plate with the base loaded again and laced a single through the right side to score a pair of runners, 10-1. Following three scoreless innings, senior Jackson Anderson entered the contest as a pinch hitter and blasted a solo homer down the left-field line to add an insurance run, 11-1.

Stone finished the game 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, one run scored, and one walk, while sophomore Cooper George went 2-for-3 with two walks. Jeffries finished 2-for-5 with one run scored, and one stolen base.

Mount Olive returns to play on Saturday, March 4, when it travels to face Flagler in a doubleheader as part of a three-game series at 1 p.m.