Joe Koehler blasted a three run home run in the seventh inning to secure a 12-3 win for the No. 14 University of Mount Olive in the series finale against King University, Sunday afternoon in Bristol, Tenn. for Conference Carolinas Baseball. Jason Morozowski also helped the Trojans with two RBI and a 2-for-4 performance.
Mount Olive (20-9 Overall, 10-4 Conference Carolinas) got rolling in the second. Justin manning led off with a single up the middle. Morozowski doubled to left center wall and Manning moved to third. Rob Shipman picked up the first RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to center. Stephen Wallace reached on a fielding error by the third baseman and Morozowski came home. With one away, DeAndre Allen drove home the final run as Wallace scored on the RBI-single.
The Trojans continued to push more runs across in the third as two walks allowed for back-to-back RBI-doubles by Manning and Morozowski. Shipman brought in another run as he singled into right field to score Morozowski from third. The final run of the inning came across on an RBI-double by Orrison.
Koehler drove in a solo run in the fifth and moved Mount Olive ahead, 9-0.
King (13-14, 8-6) drove in the first runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth, Ryan Whitt tripled to right center to lead off the inning. Marck Hencken came up with one away and pushed across the first run for the Tornado with an RBI-single to center. Forrest Haga came in to pinch hit and doubled home Hencken. Joe Ganger singled the final run home with two outs and King trailed 9-3.
Two straight one out walks brought up Koehler who promptly unloaded the bases with a long fly ball over the left centerfield wall.
The Tornado were unable to get a runner passed third and Mount Olive shut down King's offense for the remainder of the game to take the series finale.
Gunnar Kines (5-1) picked up the win for Mount Olive. Kines threw five complete and allowed just three hits and struck out three.
Tyler Raymond (1-2) took the loss on the hill for King. Five runs, three earned, came across on three hits in his two innings of work.
Mount Olive stays on the road as the Trojans will travel to Salisbury, N.C. to take on Catawba College in a non-conference match-up. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.