TIGERVILLE, S.C. (May 17) – After yielding double-digit runs in the initial four innings of the contest on Friday night, the University of Mount Olive baseball team suffered a 14-5 loss against Georgia College in the NCAA Southeast Regional at Ashmore Park.
With the loss, the Trojans fall to 38-17 overall and will play in an elimination game versus Wingate on Saturday, May 18, at noon. The Trojans drop to 0-2 this season against Georgia College after meeting on Feb. 28 in a midweek contest at a neutral site. Meanwhile, the Bobcats improve to 36-20 this year and advance to the championship game to face the winner of Mount Olive/Wingate on May 18, starting at 4 p.m.
In the bottom of the first inning, Georgia College took an early 3-0 advantage behind a three-run homer to left field. The Bobcats continued to add to their lead in the second frame after tallying two runs on two hits while capitalizing on an error in the outfield, 5-0. In the bottom of the third, Georgia College brought four more runs across the plate following a pair of hits, two walks, one hit by pitch, and three wild pitches, 9-0.
The Bobcats stretched the advantage to 11-0 in the fourth frame following a two-run homer to left-center. In the top of the sixth, senior Vito Patierno drew a walk with one out before graduate student Dylan Jeffries belted a two-run homer to left field, his sixth of the season, to cut the deficit to 11-2. With two outs, senior Alden Cottle laced a single to center field before redshirt sophomore Anthony Mitta launched a two-run homer down the right-field line to close the gap to 11-4.
Georgia College delivered another three-run homer to left-center in the bottom of the eighth before graduate student Gordon Pihl registered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left field in the ninth, 14-5.
Redshirt senior Greyson Linderman suffered the loss (3-3) after surrendering five earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 2.0 innings of work. Junior Matt Poole produced an effective outing in relief after yielding three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 4.2 innings pitched.
Mount Olive returns to the field tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, to play Wingate in an elimination game in the NCAA Southeast Regional, starting at noon.
