MOUNT OLIVE (Apr. 4) – Despite holding early leads in both contests, the University of Mount Olive baseball program was swept by nationally-ranked No. 11 North Greenville in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Scarborough Field.
With the losses, the Trojans fall to 20-15 this season behind an 11-9 record in conference action. Mount Olive will look to rebound tomorrow, Saturday, April 5, for Game 3 of the series with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the Trailblazers improve to 31-8 overall with a 16-7 mark in league play.
In Game 1, UMO jumped in front by a 1-0 margin in the bottom of the second following a sacrifice fly to center field by redshirt junior
Anthony Mitta. In the fourth, the Trojans added to their advantage with a solo homer to right field from redshirt junior
Garrett Moffett, his third of the year, 2-0.
North Greenville managed to tie the contest at 2-2 in the top of the sixth before tallying a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 4-2 edge. Mount Olive answered in the bottom of the eighth as Moffett laced a two-run single to left field to tie the game, 4-4.
In extra innings, NGU scored six runs on five hits in the top of the 10th to hold a 10-4 lead. Despite a two-run single by redshirt sophomore
Jon Howard in the bottom half of the frame, the Trojans fell by a 10-6 margin in the opening game.
Moffett finished 2-for-5 with a homer, three runs batted in, and one run scored, while junior
Kayden Crawford went 2-for-5 at the plate.
Junior
Carson Gipson delivered a stellar opening and took a no-decision after yielding two earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 6.0 innings in the start (85 pitches). He carried a perfect game into the sixth inning while retiring the initial 16 batters of the game.
In Game 2, Mount Olive once again established the early lead following a two-run double to left-center by senior
Wade Kelly, 2-0. After a pair of scoreless innings, the Trailblazers cut into the deficit with an RBI double to down the left-field line to trail by a 2-1 margin.
North Greenville brought across five more runs in the top of the sixth after capitalizing on three hit-by-pitches to hold a 6-2 edge. UMO loaded the bases in the bottom half with no outs, but were unable to bring across any runs. NGU added an insurance goal in the bottom of the seventh to seal a 7-2 victory.
Kelly went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while redshirt senior
Mike Kenney tallied two hits and one run scored.
Fifth-year
John Horton took a no-decision in the start after allowing one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings pitched (90 pitches).
The Trojans return to Scarborough Field tomorrow, Saturday, April 5, for Game 3 of the series with NGU, starting at 1 p.m.
