MURFREESBORO, N.C. (April 24) – After seven Trojans recorded a multi-hit performance on Thursday, Mount Olive secured a doubleheader sweep at Chowan in Conference Carolinas play with a 9-4 win in Game 1 before collecting a 9-3 in Game 2.
With the sweep, the University of Mount Olive baseball program improves to 28-19 this season with a 16-13 record in league action. The Trojans will close the regular season tomorrow, Friday, April 25, at Chowan with the first pitch scheduled for noon. Meanwhile, the Hawks fall to 6-31 overall behind a 4-25 mark in conference play.
In Game 1, junior
Carson Gipson earned the win (4-5) after yielding three runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks over 5.0 innings pitched. Graduate student
Hayden Myrick registered his seventh save of the season following 4.0 innings in relief with one run allowed on three hits with four strikeouts.
Chowan grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first before UMO countered with an RBI ground out from redshirt junior
Anthony Mitta to tie the contest, 1-1. The Hawks responded in the bottom half with two runs on three hits to regain a 3-1 edge.
The Trojans captured the lead in the top of the third as redshirt junior
Garrett Moffett laced a two-run double to left-center before redshirt senior
Mike Kenney produced a two-run single to left field, 5-3. UMO added another run in the fourth following a sacrifice fly to right field by junior
Kayden Crawford to hold a 6-3 advantage. Mount Olive tallied two more run on sacrifice fly to build an 8-3 lead in the top of the eighth before the Hawks answered with a solo homer to left field, 8-4. Junior
Tariq Talley brought across the final insurance run in the ninth with an RBI single to seal a 9-4 victory.
Talley finished 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI, two runs scored, and one stolen base. Moffett went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, one run scored, and one stolen base.
In Game 2, junior
Jakhari Howard ripped an RBI single through the right side to take a 1-0 lead before Talley hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the second frame, 2-0. Moffett increased the UMO lead in the top of the third with a solo homer to right field from Moffett, his fourth of the season. In the fourth, junior
Lane McLean belted a two-run double down the left-field line before Moffett registered an RBI double to center field, 6-0.
The Trojans continued to add to their advantage in the top of the fifth as McLean recorded an RBI single up the middle to hold a 7-0 lead. The Hawks avoided the shutout in the sixth with two runs on two hits before McLean launched a two-run homer to left field in the seventh, his fifth of the year, 9-2. Chowan scored the final run in the bottom of the seventh as UMO captured a 9-3 win.
McLean finished 3-for-5 with a homer, five RBIs, two run scored, while Kelly went 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
Fifth-year
John Horton improved to 4-2 overall after yielding three runs (two earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts in a 7.0-inning complete-game performance.
Mount Olive returns to action tomorrow, Friday, April 25, with Game 3 of the series at Chowan set to begin at noon.
