FLORENCE, S.C. (April 26) – For the first time this season, the No. 16 ranked Trojans were shutout while being held to their second-lowest hit total of the year in a 3-0 loss at Francis Marion on Friday evening in Conference Carolinas play.

With the loss, the University of Mount Olive baseball program drops to 33-13 overall with a 19-8 record in league play. It marked the first meeting between the sides since the championship game in the Conference Carolinas Tournament in 2023. Meanwhile, Francis Marion improves to 17-28 this season behind an 8-20 mark in conference action.

Redshirt senior Erik Johnson delivered a solid performance on the mound after yielding one earned run on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 innings pitched (105 pitches). Fellow senior Hayden Myrick surrendered two earned runs on three hits in 1.0 inning of relief.

The Trojans left a runner on third in the opening frame before the Patriots scored the first run of the game on an RBI single to left-center, 1-0. Following two scoreless innings, the Trojans once again left the game-tying run on third before stranding a pair of runners in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Francis Marion scored two runs on three hits, highlighted by two RBI singles to center field to extend the lead, 3-0.

Mount Olive continues the three-game series at Francis Marion tomorrow, Saturday, April 27, with a doubleheader at 1 p.m.