GASTONIA, N.C. (May 6) – Behind a complete-game performance from freshman Carson Gipson, the University of Mount Olive baseball team registered a 13-2 run-rule victory over Belmont Abbey in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon at CaroMont Health Park.

With the win, the Trojans improve to 34-15 overall and secure a critical regionally ranked win to advance to Championship Sunday. Mount Olive will play tomorrow at 1 p.m. versus UNC Pembroke with a spot in the title game on the line. Meanwhile, the Crusaders fall to 38-16 this season after entering the conference tournament at No. 3 in the Southeast Regional rankings.

In just his fourth start of the season, Gipson delivered a career-best performance in the league tournament after tossing a 7.0-inning complete-game victory to improve to 5-0 on the mound. The freshman from Pikeville, North Carolina, yielded two runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks on Saturday.

In the bottom of the first, senior Dylan Jeffries produced a leadoff single through the right side, followed by back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs. The next at-bat, graduate student Landon Choboy launched a grand slam to center field, his fourth homer of the year, to take a quick 4-0 advantage. After a scoreless second inning, the Trojans added to the lead with three runs on three hits. Choboy led off with a single to right field before a walk and a ground out placed a pair of runners into scoring position. With two outs, senior Joshua Jones posted a two-run double down the left-field line before junior Mike Kenney laced an RBI single through the left side, 7-0.

UMO continued its offensive surge in the fourth after junior Vito Patierno drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. Senior Jack Casbarro and Choboy recorded consecutive singles before fellow senior JT Stone delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, 8-0. Following a double steal, sophomore Cooper George ripped a two-run single to right field before junior Alden Cottle hit an RBI double to right-center, 10-0. In the fifth frame, the Trojans scored on an RBI ground out from Stone before later tallying a run on a fielding error, 13-0. The Crusaders got on the board in the top of the sixth with a two-run homer to right field to cut the deficit to 13-2. Gipson closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the 13-2 run-rule win.   

Choboy finished the game 3-for-4 with a grand slam, four RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. Casbarro went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base, while Patierno produced a pair of hits, three runs scored, and two walks.

Mount Olive returns to the field on Sunday, May 7, to face UNC Pembroke with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park.