MOUNT OLIVE– The University of Mount Olive baseball program split Saturday's doubleheader with Chowan at Scarborough Field, overpowering the Hawks 21-3 in the opener before dropping game two by a 7-4 margin.
Game one quickly turned into an offensive showcase for Mount Olive. After Chowan plated three runs in the top of the first, the Trojans responded immediately and seized control for good. Kayden Crawford sparked the bottom half with a walk and aggressive baserunning, while Rowan Watt and Lane McLean each delivered RBI groundouts to trim the deficit. An RBI single by Mac James tied the contest in the second before Garrett Moffett launched a towering three-run home run to right field to give Mount Olive a 6-3 lead.
The Trojans continued to apply pressure in the third, erupting for five runs on five hits. Watt drove in two with a sharp single, Moffett followed with another two-run knock, and McLean capped the inning with an RBI base hit to stretch the advantage to 11-3. From there, Mount Olive never eased up.
A sacrifice fly from R. Hancock pushed the lead to 12-3 in the sixth before Mount Olive broke the game wide open with a six-run seventh inning. Tanner Ferguson homered in his first at bat as a Trojan, McLean and Wyatt Lassiter delivered RBI doubles, and the Trojans capitalized on free passes to put the contest out of reach. Three more runs completed the 21-run outburst as Mount Olive totaled 16 hits and showcased production throughout the lineup.
Carson Gipson (2-1) settled in after the opening frame and dominated the remainder of his outing. The right-hander scattered just three hits across 7.0 innings, struck out seven, and retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced.
Game two unfolded as a tighter contest from the outset. The Trojans struck first in the bottom of the first when Crawford walked and later scored on an RBI single by McLean. Mount Olive added another run in the third as Watt singled and crossed the plate on McLean's second RBI hit of the afternoon.
Aiden Newton turned in a solid start, working 5.0 innings with six strikeouts while allowing four runs, three earned. Chowan used a two-run triple in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, but the Trojans answered in the sixth. Ferguson's aggressive baserunning led to a run on a wild pitch, and James followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.
The Hawks regained control in the seventh, drawing three consecutive walks to set up a go-ahead RBI and adding insurance on a sacrifice fly. Mount Olive was unable to mount a final rally in the bottom half as Chowan secured the split.
Mount Olive will return on Sunday at 1 PM to bring around the final game of the series.