MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 28) – Redshirt senior
Mike Kenney delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly to center field on Friday, as the Trojans secured a 5-4 victory over Emmanuel in Conference Carolinas play at Scarborough Field.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive baseball team improves to 11-5 this season behind a 5-2 record in league action. The Trojans have won the last six meetings in the series, including a trio of one-run victories. Meanwhile, Emmanuel falls to 8-9 overall with a 2-5 record in conference play.
In the bottom of the first inning, junior
Kayden Crawford produced a bunt single to third base before advancing to third on a stolen base and an error. During the next at-bat, redshirt sophomore
Jon Howard registered an RBI on a ground out to third to take a 1-0 lead. UMO escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second frame after producing a strikeout and a double play to maintain its edge.
Following a scoreless third, the Trojans added to their lead with an RBI double down the left-field line from junior
Jakhari Howard to score Kenney from first, 2-0. The Lions cut into the deficit in the fifth inning after scoring a wild pitch to trail 2-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Mount Olive drew a pair of walks to begin the frame before junior
Tariq Talley laced an RBI single to left field. The Trojans tallied a run later in the inning after crossing the plate on a wild pitch, 4-1.
Emmanuel closed the gap with a solo homer to left-center in the top of the eighth before tying the game in the ninth with a two-out, two-run single up the middle, 4-4. In the bottom half, junior
Lane McLean hit a double down the left-field line with one out before Crawford delivered a single up the middle to put runners on the corner. After intentionally walking
Jon Howard, Kenney belted a sacrifice fly to center field to seal the walk-off win by a 5-4 margin.
Crawford finished 3-for-5 with one run scored and a stolen base. Kenney and Talley went 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored on Friday.
Fifth Year
John Horton took a no-decision after yielding one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 4.2 innings pitched. Freshman
John Nelson McLamb surrendered one run on two hits with one strikeout in 2.2 innings of relief. Senior
Gavin Wilson earned the win (2-0) after closing out the final 1.2 innings with one strikeout.
The Trojans return to Scarborough Field on Saturday, March 1, for a doubleheader against Emmanuel, starting at noon.
