Derek Justice threw 136 pitches and went the distance as nationally second-ranked University of Mount Olive salvaged the final game of a three-game series with a 6-2 victory over Barton College in game two of a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader Sunday at Scarborough Field. The victory moved Trojan head coach to within three wins of 1,000 career wins.
Barton clinched the series with a 12-3 victory in game one as the Bulldogs broke the game open with a pair of five-run innings in the seven-inning contest. This weekend marked the first time since 2006 Barton won a baseball series against Mount Olive.
Mount Olive (18-6 overall, 9-2 Conference Carolinas) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two as each of the first four Trojan batters singled. Zak Orrison, who led off the inning for the Trojans, had three hits in game two and finished with five hits in the doubleheader. He also stole three bases in the nightcap to improve to 17-for-17 on the season. Kilgore Gailmard and Jason Morozowski had rbi-singles and Joe Koehler drove in the final run of the inning with a bunt single on a squeeze play.
Gailmard doubled in Orrison in the second inning and Koehler singled in a run in the fourth inning after Orrison scored on a wild pitch.
Justice (4-0) allowed three infield singles on his way to a four-hitter. He finished with eight strikeouts.
In game one, Mount Olive opened the game with a single by Orrison and a double by Gailmard in the bottom of the first, but had to settle for a single run on a wild pitch. The Trojans were held to just four more hits the rest of the game.
Barton (11-12, 5-6) sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the second as Avery Harper's two-run single capped the Bulldogs' five-run outburst. Tyler Garrett and Spiers Miller drove in two runs apiece in the sixth inning as Barton plated another five runs to extend its lead to 11-1. Jacob Willis homered in the top of the seventh as every Bulldog collected at least one hit.
Bulldog starter Brandon Warren (5-2) went the distance and finished with a six-hitter.
Mount Olive faces nationally 12th-ranked Franklin Pierce in a two-game series this week. The two teams play Tuesday at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., then play Wednesday at Scarborough Field. USA Baseball National Training Complex is the site of the 2015 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals, co-hosted by University of Mount Olive and Town of Cary.