WILSON, N.C. (April 13) – In a matchup of two programs featured in the latest national poll, the No. 10 ranked Trojans dropped a doubleheader at Barton on Saturday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action.
With the losses, the University of Mount Olive baseball team falls to 29-10 overall with a 17-5 mark in conference play. The Bulldogs earned back-to-back wins over the Trojans for the first time since 2021, while UMO continues to sit atop the league standings. Meanwhile, Barton improves to 31-9 this season with a 14-9 record in conference action.
In Game 1, the Trojans grabbed an early 2-0 advantage behind a two-run homer by graduate student
Landon Choboy, his fourth of the season, in the top of the first inning. The Bulldogs answered back in the bottom half of the frame with five runs on two hits after capitalizing a pair of walks and two hit-by-pitches, 5-2. After a scoreless second inning, Barton totaled five runs over the next three innings to build a 10-2 lead.
Mount Olive cut into the deficit in the top of the sixth with three straight RBI singles to trail by a 10-5 margin before the Bulldogs got a run back in the seventh to hold an 11-5 edge. The Trojans closed the gap to 11-8 in the top of the eighth, as seniors
David Cucci and
Vito Patierno produced RBI singles. Barton pulled away in the bottom half of the frame with three runs on four hits, 14-8. UMO tallied a run in the ninth after scoring on a wild pitch, 14-9.
Choboy finished 2-for-5 with a homer, two RBI, and one run scored, while Patierno went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.
Senior
Ethan Imbimbo suffered his first loss of the season (6-1) after surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings (91 pitches).
In Game 2, Patierno delivered an RBI ground out in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead before the Bulldogs produced an RBI double and triple to claim a 2-1 edge. Barton extended its lead in the bottom of the second with a pair of homers to establish a 5-1 advantage. Following a scoreless third, the Bulldogs tallied three more runs in the next two frames to build an 8-1 lead.
Mount Olive rallied in the top of the sixth with five runs on five hits, highlighted by a three-run double to left-center by redshirt junior
Case Kermode, 8-6. Barton countered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal an 11-6 win.
Senior
Erik Johnson suffered the loss (5-2) after yielding seven earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings pitched (97 pitches).
Mount Olive completes the three-game series with Barton on Sunday, April 14, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
