Chase Edwards led a four run tenth inning extra innings game one with a three run home run to give the nationally 27th-ranked University of Mount Olive the 7-3 win. Mount Olive swept the doubleheader contest with an 11-2 win in the nightcap highlighted by another four run inning this time in the second inning Sunday night in Bristol, Tenn. in Conference Carolinas Baseball.
Game One Mount Olive 7 King (Tenn.) 3:
Both teams entered into a pitching duel for the first four innings of game one as the starters certainly had their stuff. However Mount Olive (22-11 Overall, 8-2 Conference Carolinas) cracked open the game first in the fifth.
Justin Manning led the frame off with a 3-2 walk. Chase Edwards came up and hit a 1-0 pitch for a double into left center and Manning was held at third. DeAndre Allen delivered with a one out single past the pitcher and Manning was the first run of the ball game.
The Trojans added a run in the sixth. Cody Britt reached on a throwing error by the third baseman with one out to give the Trojans a base runner and stole second on the following play. After a pop-out Willi Martin brought in Britt with an RBI-single into left field and UMO was up 2-0.
King (12-22-1, 4-6) tied the game back up in the bottom half however; Tyler Gaby drew the lead-off walk. Justin Trent singled into left field and Gaby advanced to second. Tyler Raymond was allowed to reach base safely on a fielder's choice that took the runner in Trent out at second. Geoff Cieslewitz doubled home the first Tornado runs of the game with his base hit down the right field line that scored Raymond and Gaby.
Mount Olive broke the tie in the top of the seventh as Edwards got on via the lead-off walk and Bretton Gouthro who pinched hit for Will Bynum singled past second. Allen reached on a fielder's choice as he attempted to bunt the runners over but the throw went to third and took out Edwards. Jay Gonzales broke the tie with two outs with his RBI-single as Gouthro finally came home.
King tied it once more in the seventh as J.D. Wallace singled up the middle to lead off the last chance for the home nine. Landon Weitekamp singled down the right field line on an attempted bunt and Wallace moved to second. Trent brought home the tying run off a single into center field that drove in Wallace from third. This was the only run to cross, as extra innings were needed in game one.
No action occurred in the eighth or ninth and it was not until the tenth the Mount Olive stuck home. Gonzales led off with a 3-2 walk and Britt followed him by getting hit by a pitch. Bradon Reitano was walked and the bases were loaded with no one out. Luke Barry grounded out to the pitcher but did bring in Gonzales and the Trojans were back on top. The huge blow came off the bat of Edwards who came up with two outs and hit a shot over the left center field wall and cleared the bases for UMO and extended the lead to 7-3.
King was unable to rally in the bottom half and the Trojans took game one.
Zach Bernard (1-2) was credited with the win as he went the final inning and a third only giving up one hit and striking out two to pick up his first win of the season.
Brandon Houser (0-2) picked up the loss in relief as he threw an inning and two thirds allowing three runs off one hit.
Game Two Mount Olive 11 King (Tenn.) 2:
A four run second inning by the University of Mount Olive was enough to push them ahead for good to take the night cap Sunday. Back-to-back doubles by Allen and Zak Orrison were the key hits in the early offensive outburst. Britt also went 2-for-4 with four RBI to lead the team in game two.
In the second Mount Olive (23-11, 9-2) got it going with Edwards single up the middle to lead off the inning. Manning advanced him to second with a one out single through the right side. Allen came through and delivered the first run scoring hit as he doubled into right field as Edwards came home and Manning moved to third. Orrison followed with a RBI-double to left field and brought in Manning. Gonzales got the sacrifice fly as the ball hit out to left field was far enough to allow Allen to tag from third. Britt singled home the final run of the inning with a base hit up the middle and Orrison scored.
The Trojans did add three more in the third when Barry got on with a two out single past the shortstop. Manning doubled down the right field line and Allen brought them both in with a two RBI-single through the 3-4 hole. Orrison singled through the left side and moved Allen to third and Allen scored subsequently on a wild pitch.
King (12-23-1, 4-7) plated solo runs in the third and fourth both coming from the home run. Tyler Gaby hit a two out homer in the third and Hunter Smith homered in the fourth. The runs were the only the Tornado put on the board in game two.
Mount Olive responded with solo runs in the fifth and sixth. The first came from a bases loaded hit by pitch of Britt to score Manning in the fifth and a Barry sacrifice fly to center that brought in Martin.
Orrison led off the seventh for UMO with a double down the left field line. Gonzales drew a walk and a double steal was successful to put runners at second and third. Britt drove in his third and fourth RBI of the game with a double to right center and the offensive was done for the Trojans on Sunday.
The runs put up by the Trojan offense was enough to give starter Derek Justice (5-1) his third complete game of the season and win number five. Justice allowed two runs off four hits and struck out eight in his seven innings of work.
Cory Rhodes (2-5) picked up the loss on the hill for King going three and allowing seven runs off 10 hits and added two strike outs.
These two teams finish up the series tomorrow with a single game in Bristol, Tenn. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.