CENTRAL, S.C. (April 5) – The Trojan offense totaled 24 runs on 25 hits behind five homers, as UMO captured a doubleheader sweep at Southern Wesleyan on Friday afternoon in Conference Carolinas play, recording a 16-8 win in Game 1 and an 8-3 victory in Game 2.
With the sweep, the University of Mount Olive softball program extends its winning streak to seven in a row and improves to 28-9 this season with a 9-3 record in league action. In the first release of the KPI rankings, which determines tournament seeding, the Trojans sit No. 2 overall. Meanwhile, Southern Wesleyan drops to 16-16 overall behind a 6-6 mark in conference play.
In Game 1, senior
Kylie Emanuele finished 3-for-4 with two homers, six RBIs, three runs scored, and one walk, while freshman
Laci Best went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, and one walk. Additionally, a trio of Trojans produced two hits in the win while senior
Cana Shrock tallied one homer and three RBIs.
The Trojans jumped ahead in the top of the first inning following a three-run homer by Emanuele, her 17th of the season, to take a 3-0 advantage. Mount Olive brought across another run in the second inning after senior
Carly Curcio stole second before scoring on an error, 4-0. In the top of the third, Emanuele delivered an RBI double to center field before Shrock belted a three-run homer to center field, her 10th of the year, to stretch the lead to 8-0. The Warriors countered in the bottom half of the frame with their own three-run home run to trim the deficit to 8-3.
UMO answered back in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer from Best, her eighth of the season, to hold a 10-3 edge. Southern Wesleyan once again responded in the bottom half of the inning with another three-run homer to trail by a 10-6 margin. In the fifth, Mount Olive registered two more runs on three hits, highlighted by an infield RBI single by senior
Emma Mooney to extend the lead to 12-6.
In the top of the sixth, senior
Lark Collins produced an RBI bunt single with a pair of runners in scoring position to build a 13-6 lead. The Warriors chipped the deficit down to five runs in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer to left field, 13-8. Mount Olive scored three insurance runs in the top of the seventh after freshman
Kayla Rudd hit an RBI single up the middle before Emanuele blasted a two-run homer to left field, her league-leading 18th of the season. Sophomore
Bri Verme closed out the final inning in relief to secure the 16-8 victory.
Junior
Callie Thornton earned the win (13-1) after yielding eight earned runs on nine hits with 10 strikeouts and six walks over 6.0 innings pitched (161 pitches).
In Game 2, Best put the Trojans ahead in the top of the first with an RBI double to right field before Shrock produced a sacrifice fly to left field to take a 2-0 edge. Mount Olive added to the lead in the second frame with an RBI single to center field by senior
Courtlynn Cooney before Best laced a two-run single up the middle to extend the advantage, 5-0.
Shrock stretched the lead to 6-0 in the top of the third with a solo homer down the right-field line. The Warriors trimmed the deficit to 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth before the sides went scoreless over the following two frames. Mount Olive tallied two more runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by an RBI triple to right field by Collins to build an 8-1 lead. SWU countered with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame, but the Trojans sealed the 8-3 win.
Cooney finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base, while Best went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored.
Senior
Hannah Killough improved to 9-5 in the circle after surrendering three earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and four walks over 7.0 innings (127 pitches).
The Trojans return to Conference Carolinas action tomorrow, Saturday, April 6, to face North Greenville in a road doubleheader, starting at noon.
