BELMONT, N.C. (March 28) – The University of Mount Olive softball program captured its fourth straight series victory following a sweep at Belmont Abbey on Friday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action with a 6-3 win in Game 1 before a 7-0 shutout in Game 2.
With the sweep, the Trojans extended their winning streak to nine in a row and improved to 19-13 overall with a 9-3 record in conference action. Mount Olive secures its first sweep over Belmont Abbey since 2021 and boasts a 20-8 record in the all-time series dating back to 2012. Meanwhile, the Crusaders fall to 16-16 this season behind a 3-7 mark in league play.
In Game 1, freshman
Linda Hodge produced her ninth complete game of the season and improved to 10-5 in the circle. She yielded three earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 innings pitched (116 pitches). Hodge captured her fifth straight win while forcing 13 flyouts against the Crusaders.
Belmont Abbey established a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning, but the Trojans quickly rallied with two runs on four hits in the top of the second. Hodge delivered an RBI single up the middle before freshman
Brittany Stephens registered an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead. Following a scoreless third, UMO added to its lead in the fourth with an RBI ground out from freshman
Sophia Gleim while senior
Alyssa Smothers laced an RBI single down the left-field line, 4-1. The Crusaders countered in the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer to center field to trail by a 4-2 margin.
In the bottom of the sixth, Belmont Abbey cut the lead to one run following a pinch-hit solo homer to left-center, 4-3. Mount Olive answered in the top of the seventh with two insurance runs, including an RBI ground out by sophomore
McKenzie Millard to build a 6-3 edge.
Hodge, Gleim, and Smothers finished 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored on Friday.
In Game 2, the Trojans jumped ahead by a 3-0 margin in the top of the first inning behind five hits, highlighted by an RBI double from freshman
Liz Thome and an RBI single by freshman
Emily Saw. Mount Olive extended its lead in the second frame with a two-out RBI double to left-center by junior
Samantha Taylor to build a 4-0 lead. In the top of the third, Thome blasted a solo homer to center field, her third of the year, to hold a 5-0 edge.
Following two scoreless frames, UMO added an insurance run in the sixth and seventh innings to complete a 7-0 road win.
Thome finished 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Taylor went 2-for-4 with two RBI and sophomore
Laci Best registered a multi-hit performance.
Freshman
Hailey King tossed her first career complete-game shutout while improving to 7-4 in the circle. She surrendered zero runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 innings pitched (83 pitches).
Mount Olive continues its road trip with a doubleheader scheduled at Converse on Saturday, March 29, starting at 1 p.m.
