Mount Olive freshman Zak Orrison went three-for-five and scored four runs, and seven Trojan pitchers held St. Augustine's to one earned run in a 14-3 non-conference win Thursday afternoon at Scarborough Field.
The nationally second-ranked Trojans (14-1) pounded out 13 hits, including six in the first two innings as Mount Olive jumped on Falcon starter Stephen Hamilton (1-1) for seven earned runs. In the bottom of the first, Matt Petrone led off with a double and scored on Orrison's first hit. Orrison came home on a balk. Geno Escalante kept the rally going with a double to the left, then scored on a groundout by Braden Reitano.
An inning later, a one-out single by Tyler Farmer got things started. Bretton Gouthro was hit by a pitch and both raced home on Petrone's second double. Orrison legged out an infield single to score another run and Escalante's sacrifice fly made it 7-0.
The early support was more than enough for Trojan pitchers to protect. Starter Collin Dubose and Taylor Carr (1-0) retired the first nine batters they faced. Garret Blackburn and Josh Frederick followed with three innings without allowing an earned run.
Escalante's triple started a two-run rally in the Trojan fourth. After a walk to Berry, Reitano singled home both runners. In the fifth, Berry doubled home a pair of two-out runs. Adam Currin delivered a sacrifice fly in the seventh, then Cody Britt singled home Bryan Dunlavey.
Licio Tamburlini, Barinder Rakkar and Hunter Barnett limited the Falcons (8-7) to one earned run over the final three innings.
Mount Olive returns to action this weekend in a battle of top 20 teams as the Trojans travel to Belmont, N.C., for a three-game Conference Carolinas series against nationally 18th-ranked Belmont Abbey. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon and conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.