MOUNT OLIVE (March 30) – Redshirt junior
Mike Kenney totaled eight RBIs on Saturday afternoon, as the University of Mount Olive baseball team swept the season series over Chowan at Scarborough Field, posting a 7-2 win in Game 1 before recording an 18-3 victory in Game 2.
With the win, the Trojans have their winning streak extended to double figures (10) and improve to 24-8 this season with a 14-3 record in Conference Carolinas play. Following this weekend, Mount Olive sits atop the league standings while North Greenville and Young Harris round out the top three. Meanwhile, the Hawks fall to 6-26 overall behind a 2-16 mark in league action.
In Game 1, redshirt senior
Erik Johnson improved to 4-1 overall after surrendering two runs (one earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 5.0 innings pitched (90 pitches). Senior
Hayden Myrick tossed two scoreless innings (23 pitches) to clinch the series.
Mount Olive jumped out to a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly to right field by Kenney. Following a scoreless second frame, the Trojans extended their lead with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the third. Senior
Vito Patierno laced an RBI double to right field before Kenney belted a three-run homer to left field, his second of the year, to take a 5-0 advantage.
The Hawks cut into the deficit in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs before UMO answered back with a two-run single by Kenney to take a 7-2 lead.
Kenney finished 2-for-2 with six RBIs and one run scored, while Patierno went 2-for-3 with one RBI, three runs scored, one walk, and one stolen base.
In Game 2, Chowan leaped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a leadoff solo homer to left field. The Trojans quickly countered with five runs on three hits in the bottom half of the frame, highlighted by an RBI single by graduate student
Landon Choboy and an RBI double from senior
Alden Cottle. After a scoreless second, the Hawks cut the deficit to 5-2 in the top of the third before redshirt junior
Case Kermode blasted a two-run homer to left field in the bottom half, 7-2. In the fourth, Patierno extends the lead after scoring on a balk, 8-2.
Mount Olive completely broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with seven runs on four hits, highlighted by a two-run single to right field by Kenney, 15-2. In the sixth, the Trojans brought across three more runs behind a pair of RBI singles from redshirt sophomore
Garrett Moffett and redshirt freshman
Jon Howard, 18-2. Chowan scored the final run of the contest in the top of the eighth on a ground ball double play.
The Trojans featured seven pitchers with junior
Matt Poole (1-1) collecting the win after tossing 2.0 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts. Junior
Aiken Minton, redshirt junior
Noah Overton, and graduate student
Cade Anderson all delivered 1.0 inning of scoreless relief against the Hawks.
The Trojans return to action on Tuesday, April 2, for a non-conference contest against Wingate at Scarborough Field with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
