SALISBURY, N.C. (Feb. 25) – The University of Mount Olive softball team launched three homers in Game 2 on Sunday afternoon to earn a split of the doubleheader at Catawba in non-conference play, falling 8-0 in Game 1 before collecting a 9-4 victory.
With the split, the Trojans move to 16-4 this season while posting a 2-2 record against a pair of South Atlantic Conference opponents over the weekend. The Trojans snapped a three-game skid against Catawba and earned their first win in the series since 2022. Meanwhile, the Indians hold a 9-9 overall record behind a 5-4 mark versus Conference Carolinas opponents.
In Game 2, Mount Olive leaped ahead in the top of the third inning after tallying four runs on four hits. With one out, freshman
McKenzie Millard reached base on a single to center field before fellow freshman
Laci Best blasted a two-run homer to left center, her fifth of the season, 2-0. The next at-bat, senior
Kylie Emanuele singled to center field before teammate
Carly Curcio belted a two-run homer to extend the lead, 4-0.
Catawba answered back in the bottom of the third with an RBI single before scoring another run in the fourth inning, 4-2. After a scoreless fifth frame, the Trojans tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center field by senior
Lark Collins to stretch the advantage to 5-2. In the top of the seventh, UMO totaled three runs on four hits, highlighted by a three-run shot by freshman
Kayla Rudd, her first career homer, to take a 9-2 advantage. The Indians scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame, but Mount Olive sealed the victory, 9-4.
Sophomore
Bri Verme earned the complete-game victory (4-1) after yielding four earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings (120 pitches). She forced nine flyouts and six groundouts while facing 33 batters on Sunday.
In Game 1, Catawba climbed out to a 5-0 lead in the opening inning behind a two-run single to right-center before hitting a three-run homer the following at-bat. The Trojan offense was held hitless through the initial three frames, while the Indians added to their lead in the bottom of the third. Catawba scored on a sacrifice fly and delivered a two-out single to right field, 7-0. Emanuele tallied the lone hit for UMO after lacing a double to center field in the top of the fourth.
The Indians secured the run-rule victory in the fifth on a two-out RBI double to right field, 8-0.
Senior
Hannah Killough suffered the loss (6-2) after surrendering seven earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Junior
Callie Thornton entered in relief and yielded one run on three hits with one strikeout in 1.2 innings of work.
Mount Olive will host a three-team round-robin tournament next weekend on March 2-3 as it welcomes Elizabeth City State and Lock Haven for non-conference play.
