MOUNT OLIVE (March 13) – Despite jumping ahead by a 7-0 advantage, the No. 18 Trojans surrendered 10 unanswered runs over the final six innings to suffer a 10-7 loss against Coker on Wednesday afternoon at Scarborough Field in non-conference action.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive baseball team falls to 14-8 overall while dropping to 0-2 versus the Cobras this season. Meanwhile, Coker improves to 15-8 this season with an impressive 6-3 mark against Conference Carolinas opponents.
The Trojans leaped in front by a 4-0 margin in the bottom of the first inning with senior
Alden Cottle driving in the first run on a sacrifice fly to left-center. The next at-bat, senior
Dylan Jeffries laced an RBI single up the middle before a runner scored later in the frame on a passed ball. With two outs, redshirt junior
Mike Kenney registered an RBI on a ground out to first base.
After a scoreless second inning, Mount Olive graduate student
Landon Choboy produced a bases-clearing double to left field to stretch the lead to 7-0 in the third. The Cobras answered back in the top of the fourth with five runs on two hits, highlighted by a three-run triple to right field, 7-5. In the fifth, Coker tied the contest at 7-7 after scoring on an error and an RBI single to left field.
The Cobras took the lead in the top of the eighth with a solo homer to left field before later scoring a sacrifice fly to center field, 9-7. In the top of the ninth, Coker tallied an insurance run in the ninth with an RBI double to center field, 10-7.
Jeffries finished 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored, while senior
Vito Patierno went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Mount Olive featured five pitchers in the contest, as senior
Andrew Ledbetter suffered the loss (2-2) after yielding two earned runs on three hits in 1.0 inning of relief.
UMO returns to Conference Carolinas play this weekend with a three-game series at King with a doubleheader scheduled for Friday, March 15, at noon.
