MOUNT OLIVE (March 12) – In the Conference Carolinas opener on Wednesday evening, the Trojans suffered a pair of hard-fought losses in extra innings against UNC Pembroke at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field, with a Game 1 loss by a 3-2 margin and a 9-7 defeat in Game 2.
With the losses, the University of Mount Olive softball program drops to 10-12 this season behind a 0-2 record in conference action. The Braves have won three of the last four meetings in the series and earned their first doubleheader sweep in Mount Olive since 2015. Meanwhile, UNC Pembroke improves to 11-16 overall with a 2-0 mark in league play.
In Game 1, UNCP led off the top of the first inning with back-to-back singles to left field before a sacrifice fly to center field scored the opening run of the contest, 1-0. The Trojans would load the bases in the bottom half of the first but ultimately stranded all three runners.
Following three scoreless innings, the Braves added to their lead with an RBI double to left-center in the top of the fifth, 2-0. Mount Olive rallied in the bottom fifth, as senior
Alyssa Smothers led off the frame with a double to right field before a single by freshman
Leah Russell placed runners on the corners. With one out, a passed ball scored Smothers before a ground out brought home Russell to tie the contest, 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans had a chance to walk-off the contest following consecutive singles to start the inning, but were unable to score.
UNC Pembroke took the lead in the top of the eighth to hold a 3-2 edge following an RBI single up the middle. In the bottom half, UMO stranded the game-tying run on third to suffer the one-run loss.
Despite an outstanding start in the circle, freshman
Linda Hodge suffered the loss (5-4) after yielding three runs (two earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 8.0 innings (129 pitches).
Russell finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and a stolen base, while Smothers went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
In Game 2, the Braves established a 2-0 advantage in the first inning after scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single through the left side. In the bottom half of the first, Russell hit a leadoff single to the infield before advancing to third on a wild pitch and ground out. With one out, Russell crossed the plate on a passed ball to cut the deficit to 2-1. UNCP increased its lead in the top of the second with four runs on four hits after capitalizing on an error with two outs, 6-1.
Mount Olive closed the gap to 6-4 in the bottom of the second following a two-run single by junior
Samantha Taylor and an RBI single down the right-field line from freshman
Liz Thome. The Trojans scored one run in the third on an RBI single from Russell before freshman
Emily Saw registered an RBI single through the left side in the fourth to tie the contest, 6-6.
The game remained scoreless over the next three frames and entered extra innings with neither team scoring in the eighth. UNC Pembroke grabbed the lead in the top of the ninth with three runs on two hits, 9-6. The Trojans brought across one run in the bottom of the ninth but eventually fell by a 9-7 margin.
Russell went 2-for-4 with one run batted in, two walks, and one run scored, while Taylor finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, one walk, one run scored, and a stolen base. Additionally, Thome, Saw, and Millard all recorded multi-hit games in Game 2.
Freshman
Hailey King was saddled with the loss (3-4) after surrendering nine runs (three earned) on 13 hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 9.0 innings (133 pitches).
Mount Olive continues Conference Carolinas action on Friday, March 14, at Chowan with a doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m.
