MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 8) – Facing the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) regular season champions, the Trojans claimed a doubleheader split with Lander on Saturday afternoon at Scarborough Field with a 10-3 win in Game 1 before dropping a 5-2 decision in Game 2.
With the split, the University of Mount Olive baseball program stands a 4-2 this season and will play the rubber match of the three-game series with Lander tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 9, at 1 p.m. It marked the first meeting between the sides in over six years with UMO holding a slight 10-7 advantage in the series dating back to 2012. Meanwhile, Lander moves to 2-4 while holding a 2-3 record against Conference Carolinas opponents.
In Game 1, the Bearcats totaled four hits and left six runners stranded in the initial three innings of the game. Mount Olive broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third as redshirt junior
Anthony Mitta and redshirt sophomore
Jon Howard delivered back-to-back RBI singles, 2-0. Lander led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to right field to cut the deficit to 2-1 before eventually tying the contest in the top of the fifth, 2-2.
UMO regained the lead in the bottom half of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to left field by
Jon Howard, but the Trojans did leave the bases loaded at the end of the frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mount Olive stretched its lead to 10-2 after totaling seven runs on six hits. Following a one-out single from junior
Tariq Talley, junior
Lane McLean ripped an RBI triple to right-center. The next at-bat, senior
Wade Kelly hit an RBI single to center field before the Trojans loaded the bases on consecutive walks. Senior
Rowan Watt delivered a two-run single to left field followed by another two-run single to left center by junior
Jakhari Howard. UMO capped the inning with an RBI bases-loaded walk by McLean in his second appearance at the plate in the frame.
Lander managed to score on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, but Mount Olive sealed the 10-3 win.
Freshman
Pete Honse earned his first collegiate win (1-0) after tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts. Senior
John Horton took a no-decision after yielding two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 4.1 innings of work.
In Game 2, both sides stranded multiple runners in the first inning before Lander left the bases loaded in the top of the second. Mount Olive took advantage in the bottom half with an RBI double down the left-field line from
Jakhari Howard to score redshirt senior
Mike Kenney, 1-0. UMO added another run in the bottom of the third with a fielder's choice RBI by redshirt junior
Mac James to lead 2-0.
The Bearcats capitalized on an error in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 2-1 before scoring four runs on three hits in the sixth inning to take a 5-2 advantage. UMO was held hitless for the final six frames of Game 2 with eight strikeouts.
Senior
Aiken Minton suffered the loss (0-1) after surrendering four runs on two hits with two walks in 1.0 inning of work. Junior
Carson Gipson took a no-decision in the start after tossing 4.0 scoreless frames with one strikeout and three walks.
Mount Olive will conclude the series with Lander tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 9, at Scarborough Field with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
