MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 18) – In a Top-20 nationally-ranked clash at Scarborough Field, the No. 11 ranked Trojans suffered a narrow 5-2 loss to No. 18 Catawba on Wednesday afternoon in a Southeast Regional matchup.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive baseball program drops to 7-4 this season with a 5-3 record at Scarborough Field. Historically an intense battle between the sides, the Catawba Indians hold an 18-17 lead in the series dating back to 2011. Meanwhile, Catawba improved to 8-3 overall coming off a series sweep over league foe Anderson last weekend.
A tense start to the matchup saw no runs scored until the top of the third inning, as Catawba took advantage of a pitching change and proceeded to score two runs on three hits, 2-0. In the bottom half of the third, the Trojans needed to find an answer and found it in two runs on four hits with redshirt sophomore
Jon Howard and redshirt senior
Mike Kenney each recording an RBI single, 2-2.
Catawba answered in the top of the fifth with two runs scoring off a wild pitch and a single RBI through the left side. The next frame the Catawba Indians added another run bringing the lead up to 5-2. The Trojans attempted to mount a comeback in the final inning, but unfortunately left the bases loaded following the final out.
Senior
Rowan Watt finished 2-for-4 at the plate while junior
Kayden Crawford reached base three times with a single and two walks.
Despite the loss, the Trojan pitching staff delivered another stellar performance, as junior
Raleigh Walker pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in the start. Freshman
Pete Honse tossed 1.2 innings in the relief with zero runs surrendered while senior
Gavin Wilson and
Dawson Ables each recorded a scoreless inning pitched. Senior
Aiken Minton was saddled with the loss (0-2) after yielding two earned runs on four hits with one strikeout.
The Trojans will play in a three-game series in Conference Carolinas play this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22nd at Southern Wesleyan in Central, South Carolina.
