MOUNT OLIVE (April 1) – Behind four extra-base hits, including three homers, the No. 14 Trojans claims the rubber match of the three-game series over No. 1 North Greenville with a 10-4 victory on Saturday afternoon at Scarborough Field in Conference Carolinas action.

With the win, the University of Mount Olive baseball team improves to 24-8 overall with a 12-6 mark in league play. The Trojans clinched the series over the defending-national champions and snapped a streak of 30-straight series wins for the Crusaders, which began back in 2022. UMO hands back-to-back losses to the No. 1 team in the country, who entered the series with two losses all season. Meanwhile, North Greenville falls to 31-4 this season behind an 18-3 mark in conference action.

In the bottom of the first inning, a hit-by-pitch and a walk placed runners on base with two outs. The next at-bat, senior Jack Casbarro laced a three-run homer to left field, his fifth of the year, to put UMO ahead by a 3-0 margin. Sophomore Cooper George singled through the right side to continue the inning before a walk advanced him into scoring position. During the next at-bat, a failed pick-off attempt by the catcher put runners in motion and allowed George to score on a close play at the plate, 4-0.

The Crusaders responded in the top of the third with a two-run homer to right field to cut the deficit to 4-2. In the bottom half of the frame, a walk and a single up the middle from Casbarro placed runners on base for Mount Olive. With one out, freshman Davis Halstead belted a three-run homer to left field, his first collegiate home run, to extend the lead to 7-2. After a scoreless fourth, North Greenville closed the gap with an RBI on a fielder's choice, but UMO countered in the bottom of the fifth. George drew a walk and advanced in scoring position on a stolen base before senior Gordon Pihl blasted a two-run home run to left field, his third of the year, to stretch the advantage to 9-3. 

In the top sixth, the Crusaders trimmed the deficit on an RBI double to left field, 9-4. The Trojans reestablished their six-run lead in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double to left-center by Halstead, 10-4.

Mount Olive featured six pitchers in the win, as senior Jaydon Gartner earned the win (2-1) after tossing 2.1 innings of relief with one run surrendered on three hits with one strikeout. Junior Andrew Ledbetter shut down the final three innings to secure the save (2) after yielding just one hit with five strikeouts. Senior Hunter Stevens started the contest and delivered 1.0 scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

The Trojans return to action on Tuesday, April 4, when they play an exhibition contest against the Down East Wood Duck, the Class-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, North Carolina, starting at 6 p.m.