FLORENCE, S.C. (April 27) – In the final series of the regular season, the University of Mount Olive baseball team produced a doubleheader split at Francis Marion on Saturday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action, suffering a 2-0 loss in Game 1 before recording an 11-6 win in Game 2.

With the split, the Trojans close the regular season with a 34-14 overall mark while going 20-9 in conference play. Following today's results, UMO clinched the No. 3 seed in the Conference Carolinas Tournament and will open play against rival Barton on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in Gastonia, North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Patriots finish with an 18-29 record behind a 9-21 mark in league play.

In Game 2, Mount Olive established a quick lead after tallying seven runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. During the frame, redshirt senior Mike Kenney delivered a two-run single to left-center while senior Vito Patierno laced a two-run single through the left side to build a 7-0 advantage. FMU scored in the bottom half of the first on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 7-1. In the top of the second, sophomore Lane McLean ripped a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead before Kenney hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the third, 10-1.

The Patriots registered an RBI double in the bottom of the third before cutting the lead to 10-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Patierno recorded another RBI off a single to right-center in the sixth, but Francis Marion scored in the bottom half on an error, 11-4. Despite two runs by FMU in the eighth frame, the Trojans avoided the sweep with an 11-6 victory.

Patierno finished 4-for-6 at the plate with three RBI and one run scored, while fifth-year David Cucci went 3-for-3 with one RBI, three walks, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Redshirt senior Greyson Linderman earned the win (3-1) after yielding one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched (34 pitches). Seniors Justin Koehler and Andrew Ledbetter each tossed 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.

In Game 1, the contest remained scoreless through the opening three frames, as Francis Marion left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second while the Trojans stranded a runner on third on top of the third. UMO left runners on the corners in the top of the fourth before the Patriots scored a pair of runs in the bottom half off a two-out, two-run single, 2-0.

The Trojan made one last push in the top of the sixth but left two runners in scoring position. FMU retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the 2-0 win.

Patierno went 2-for-3 with one stolen base while graduate student Landon Choboy finished 2-for-2 with one walk.

Senior Ethan Imbimbo was saddled with the loss (6-3) after surrendering two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 6.0 innings pitched (103 pitches).

The Trojans will open the Conference Carolinas Tournament on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. against Barton in Gastonia, North Carolina.