MOUNT OLIVE (March 4) – Following an incredible comeback in Game 1 and matching a season-high with 14 runs in Game 2, the Trojans secured a midweek doubleheader sweep over Dominican (NY) on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference play at Scarborough Field.
With the sweep, the University of Mount Olive baseball program collects a sixth straight victory to improve to 15-5 this season behind a 10-3 mark on their home field. The Trojans remained undefeated against the Chargers dating back to 2018 with a perfect 12-0 record. Meanwhile, Dominican falls to 1-4 overall after kicking off its season with a week-long trip down in North Carolina.
In Game 1, both sides stranded the bases loaded in the initial two innings of the contest, but following three scoreless innings, the Chargers scored the opening run on an RBI double to right field with two outs in the fourth, 1-0.
The Trojans would eventually respond in the bottom of the sixth as redshirt junior
Garrett Moffett led off the frame with an RBI triple down the right-field line. With one out, freshman
Connor Tepatti laced an RBI single up the middle to tie the game, 1-1. Dominican countered in the top of the seventh with five runs on six hits to grab a significant 6-1 advantage. Redshirt sophomore
Jon Howard produced a lead-off solo homer in the bottom half of the inning, tying the league lead with seven this season, 6-2.
Mount Olive would rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with three straight singles to begin the frame. With the bases loaded, pinch hitter junior
Ryder Hancock was hit-by-pitch before Moffett drew a walk to cut the deficit to 6-4. During the next at-bat, a wild pitch allowed redshirt senior
Mike Kenney to score from third to close the gap to 6-5. Junior
Jakhari Howard reloaded the bases with a walk before junior
Tariq Talley hit an RBI single through the right side to tie the game. With one out, junior
Lane McLean registered an RBI on fielder's choice to complete the comeback win in the final inning, 7-6.
Jon Howard finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two runs scored, one walk, and a stolen base. Junior
Kayden Crawford, Kenney, and Talley registered multi-hit performances in the opening game.
Junior
Raleigh Walker and freshman
John Nelson McLamb combined to toss 6.0 innings while yielding an unearned run on nine hits. Sophomore
Carter Gipson tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts. In his return to the mound, fifth-year
Trey Deutsch earned the win (1-0) following 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.
In Game 2, the Trojan offense tied a season-high with 14 runs on 12 hits, led by Crawford with a 3-for-3 performance with one RBI, one run scored, one walk, and two stolen bases. Kenney finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Talley went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, one walk, and one stolen base.
Mount Olive took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Kenney produced an RBI single through the left side with one out before
Jon Howard scored later in the frame on a wild pitch. The Trojans added to their lead in the bottom of the second with a two-run double from McLean down the left-field line before he scored on a wild pitch, 5-0.
The Chargers answered back with two runs in the top of the third, but UMO countered with a sacrifice fly from senior
Wade Kelly and an RBI single by Crawford, 7-2. The Trojans pulled away in the bottom of the sixth with seven runs on three hits, highlighted by an RBI double from
Jon Howard and an RBI single to left field from Tepatti, 14-2.
Freshman
Pete Honse secured the win (2-0) after surrendering two earned runs on five hits in 3.0 innings pitched. Freshman
Kole Hopkins, redshirt junior Tristian Purser, redshirt junior
Lane Roberson, and redshirt junior
Colbie Howell combined for 4.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to close out the contest.
Mount Olive will begin a three-game series versus Erskine on Friday, March 7, with a single nine-inning game at 3 p.m.
