MIAMI SHORES (Feb. 9) – After scoring all eight runs in the final four innings, the Trojans captured their first win of the 2024 campaign with an 8-3 victory at Barry in non-conference play on Friday night.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive baseball program improves to 1-1 and will play two more games in the Sunshine State ahead of their home opener next weekend. Meanwhile, Barry drops to 1-4 this season with a 1-3 record against teams from the Southeast Region.
The Buccaneers built an early 2-0 lead through the initial two frames of the contest behind an RBI single up the middle and an RBI double down the left-field line. Joe Morrissey, the starter for Barry, carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning after retiring the side in order three times.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior
Vito Patierno produced a leadoff single to center field before redshirt sophomore
Anthony Mitta belted a two-run homer to right field, his second of the season, to tie the contest at 2-2. Following a pitching change, graduate student
Landon Choboy reached base on a single up the middle with two outs before junior
Cooper George was hit by a pitch. A passed ball advanced the runners in scoring position before graduate student
Gordon Pihl laced a two-run single to center field to stretch the lead to 4-2.
Mount Olive added to the lead in the seventh with an RBI single up the middle by Patierno before redshirt junior
Case Kermode delivered an RBI single to right center in the top of the eighth, 6-2. The Bucs narrowed the deficit in the bottom half with a groundout RBI to trail by a 6-3 margin. In the ninth, Barry walked the bases load twice to allow the Trojans to build an 8-3 advantage and seal the win.
Graduate student
Ethan Imbimbo earn the win (1-0) after yielding just two runs on four hits with five strikeouts over 6.0 innings. He retired the side in order in his final four frames on the mound and forced 10 groundouts in his start. Senior
Andrew Ledbetter tossed 1.0 inning of relief while fellow senior
Hayden Myrick surrendered zero runs on one hit in 2.0 scoreless frames.
Mitta finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, one walk, and one run scored, while Patierno also went 2-for-4 with one RBI, one walk, and one run scored. Choboy registered a pair of hits with two runs scored and Pihl tallied a two RBIs in the win.
The Trojans continue their Florida road trip tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 10, when they face Palm Beach Atlantic in non-conference play, starting at 4 p.m.
