WILSON, N.C. (March 19) – Behind 14 runs and a trio of homers in Game 2, the University of Mount Olive softball team registered a doubleheader split on the road against rival Barton on Tuesday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action.
With the split, the Trojans hold a 22-9 overall record behind a 3-3 mark in conference play. It marks a third straight split in the series between UMO and Barton with the two sides set to meet again on Tuesday, April 9, at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs stand at 13-13 this season with a 4-2 record in league action.
In Game 2, four Trojans recorded multi-hit performances, led by senior
Carly Curcio, who finished 3-for-3 with two homers, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Senior
Courtlynn Cooney tallied two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while fellow senior
Kylie Emanuele went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Freshman
Laci Best also totaled two hits with a pair of RBIs against the Bulldogs.
Barton established an early 1-0 advantage with an RBI single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second frame, the Trojans scored four runs on three hits to take a 4-1 lead. With one out, Emanuele blasted a solo homer down the left-field line, her Conference Carolinas leading 14th of the season, to tie the contest at 1-1. Sophomore
Emily Cassidy later delivered an RBI single to center field before Curcio belted a two-run homer to left field.
Following a scoreless fourth, Curcio hit her second two-run homer of the game to right field to stretch the lead to 6-1. The Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 6-3. Mount Olive extended its advantage to 9-3 in the top of the sixth, highlighted by an RBI double to left field from Best. In the seventh, the Trojans tallied five insurance runs on four hits with Cooney and Emanuele both delivering RBI triples to secure a 14-3 win.
Junior
Callie Thornton earned the complete-game victory (10-1) in the circle after surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 7.0 innings.
In Game 1, the Bulldogs built a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame with an RBI single to left field. The Trojans stranded a runner in scoring position in the opening third innings of the contest before Barton increased the lead to 2-0 on a two-out RBI double to right field.
UMO left a pair of runners on base in the top of the fifth inning before stranding a runner on third base in the seventh in a 2-0 loss.
Senior
Hannah Killough was saddled with the loss (7-5) after yielding two earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 7.0 innings.
Mount Olive returns to Conference Carolinas action on Saturday, March 23, with a doubleheader versus King at noon.
