Late inning rally comes up short as No. 4 University of Mount Olive falls to No. 2 USC-Aiken 10-5 in the finale of the Prestige Appliance Classic baseball tournament in non-conference baseball in Aiken, S.C.
Both teams entered into a pitching duel for the first three innings until Mount Olive (4-2 Overall) scored first on a series of wild pitches that scored Bradon Reitano and then Chase Edwards in the top of the fourth.
Trojan starting pitcher Gunner Kines was on his way to near perfection as he had a no-hitter going into the sixth. After a walk to Sean Miller, Dylan Durham got the Pacers (4-2) first hit of the game on a bunt single. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Tyler Moore drove them all in with a grand slam homerun.
USC-Aiken continued the offensive pressure in the seventh as they scored six runs off five hits and a highlighted two-run homerun by TJ Costen with two outs.
Mount Olive made a rally in the ninth with DeAndre Allen's one out single to center field that got the Trojans started. Reitano followed him as he worked out a walk. Edwards got on with a fielder's choice that took out Allen at third.
Rob Shipman scored the first run in the inning with an rbi-single to left field that scored Edwards. Tyler Farmer's rbi-single to left field scored Edwards to continue the rally for Mount Olive. Zak Orrison brought Shipman in with an rbi-double, but that was the final run of the game as the Trojans could not come all the way back.
Kines (1-1) picked up the loss as he went five and a third giving up four.
Mount Olive returns to action this Wednesday as they open up at home to St. Augustine's at Scarborough Field, first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.