DUE WEST, S.C. — Mount Olive delivered a dominant performance on both sides of the ball to sweep Erskine in a doubleheader, taking game one 8-2 before storming to a 7-2 victory in game two.
The Trojans set the tone early in the opener in the first inning of game one. Mount Olive drew two walks to set up Elizabeth Thome, who ripped a two-out, two-run double to right-center to give the Trojans an early lead. Although Erskine answered with a run in the bottom half, Mount Olive quickly regained control.
The Trojans delivered the decisive blow in the third inning, erupting for six runs on six hits.
Samantha Taylor sparked the rally with a solo home run, while Thome hammered her second two-run double of the game.
Linda Hodge and Taylor chipped in with RBI hits later in the inning, stretching the lead to 8-1 and putting the game firmly out of reach.
From there, Hodge commanded the circle. She fired a complete game, limiting Erskine to just two runs on six hits without issuing a walk. Her aggressive pitching and ability to generate consistent contact—finishing with 10 flyouts and eight groundouts—stifled any Erskine comeback. Only a solo home run in the sixth dented her performance as Mount Olive secured the 8-2 win.
Game two followed a similar script, as the Trojans struck early and never looked back. Mount Olive capitalized on an Erskine error in the first inning, scoring twice with just one hit. In the second, Taylor launched the biggest swing of the game, blasting a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Trojans built their advantage in the third with aggressive baserunning and another Erskine miscue to make it 6-0. Taylor added a solo home run in the sixth for further separation.
Erskine scraped together single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but Mount Olive's defense and pitching held strong throughout.
Emma Myatt locked up the win in game two with a complete-game performance, yielding two runs (one earned) on four hits. She worked efficiently through seven innings, inducing 12 groundouts and limiting Erskine's chances to string together offense, even escaping a late threat in the seventh.
The Trojans return on Wednesday for a doubleheader matchup against Ferrum in Ferrum, Va. The games are scheduled for 2:00 and 4:00 PM.
