The nationally 15th-ranked University of Mount Olive Trojans opened Conference Carolinas play with a doubleheader sweep of Limestone College with 15-11 and 7-4 wins Sunday in Gaffney, S.C. Justin Manning had a pair of three-hit games and went 6-for-7 in the doubleheader.
Game One: Mount Olive 15, Limestone 11
Mount Olive (14-7 Overall, 2-0 Conference Carolinas) was able to hold off a ninth inning rally by the Saints (6-14, 0-2) to win game one 15-11. Willi Martin led the team with three RBI and a two-run homerun in the seventh.
DeAndre Allen got on with a one out single through the right side. Bradon Reitano took a four pitch walk and moved Allen to second. Rob Shipman singled into left field and scored Allen. Chase Edwards brought home the second Trojan run with a RBI-single through the left side as Reitano came in.
Limestone was able to tie the game back up in the home half of the first. KJ McAllister was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Chad Balderman singled through the left side and Gunter followed him with an RBI-single through the opposite side of the infield and McAllister scored. Kyle Booth's sacrifice fly tied the game up as he brought home Balderman.
Mount Olive exploded in the third as six runs came home. Cody Britt was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Zak Orrison moved him over on a sacrifice bunt. Jay Gonzales singled through the left side and scored Britt, however on the throw he did advance to second.
Allen doubled into right field and Gonzales was held at third. Reitano loaded the bases up after he was hit by a pitch. Shipman came through again as he reached first base on a fielding error by the shortstop and Gonzales came home. Manning and Willi Martin came through with back-to-back two out RBI-singles. A third straight RBI-single in the inning brought home the final run from Britt.
The Saints scored two runs in the bottom of the third and sixth they also added a single run in the fourth.
The Trojans scored two more runs in the seventh coming off Martin's two homerun to left field and Mount Olive led 10-7.
Limestone added two coming off Scura's two RBI-single.
Mount Olive's offensive unloaded in the ninth. Shipman led the inning off with a walk and was pinched ran for by Dylan Harvey. Edwards dropped down a bunt and beat it out as Harvey moved to third. Manning scored Edwards on a RBI-sacrifice fly to center.
Martin walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Britt scored Martin with a base hit up the middle. Gonzales singled and brought home the final Trojan run of the game as Britt touched home plate.
Limestone in the ninth started to rally. Julian Bridges got on first with a one out single straight up the middle. After a fly out, McAllister homered to left center and the Saints were down four. The Trojans stopped the comeback after that as a groundout ended game one.
Josh Frederick (1-0) was credited with the win as he came in relief pitching three and a third to pick up his first win of the season. Zach Bernard (2) came in for the save as he went two and two thirds giving up three hits and two runs.
Game Two: Mount Olive 7, Limestone 4
Mount Olive completed the doubleheader sweep of Limestone in the nightcap 7-4. Back-to-back home runs by Reitano and Shipman highlighted a three run inning to lift the Trojans in game two.
The Trojans brought home the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Shipman as he drove in Gonzales.
Limestone was able to take back the lead in the bottom of the third with a three run home run from Balderman. He was set up off two singles from Austin Marcellus and Chris Scura.
Mount Olive took the lead back from the Saints in the fifth. Orrison singled to lead off the inning and was moved over to second with a sacrifice bunt from Gonzales. Reitano took the first pitch he saw and took it down the left field line and over the wall. Shipman followed him and took a 2-1 pitch to dead centerfield for back-to-back homeruns as the Trojans took the 5-3 lead.
Reitano worked out a six pitch one out walk to lead off the seventh and UMO was set to score again. Reitano stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error from the catcher. After a groundout kept Reitano at third he came home on a wild pitch.
Edwards doubled down the left field line and Manning drove him in with a single to right center.
In the final at bats for the Saints in the bottom of the seventh Wood got on with a one out single up the middle. Bridges reached on a fielder's choice and was safe, also both runners moved up two bases on a throwing error. Marcellus drove in Tyler Wood from third with a RBI-groundout. A groundout would stop the chance for a nightcap comeback and the Trojans completed the game two win.
Kodi Whitley (2-0) went the distance to pick up his second win of the season. He gave up four runs off six hits and struck out six.
The Trojans return for game three of the series Monday afternoon in Gaffney, N.C. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.