No. 20 University of Mount Olive used a six run ninth inning to secure the series opening 11-8 win over Erskine College Friday night in Due West, S.C. for Conference Carolinas baseball.
Mount Olive (26-9 Overall, 14-4 Conference Carolinas) struck first as Zak Orrison singled to lead off the first. Kilgore Gailmard doubled to left center and Orrison moved to third. Jason Morozowski ground out and scored the game's first run. Justin Manning came up and plated to final run with an RBI-single through the right side.
Erskine (29-7, 15-4) countered quickly as the first batter of the home first went over the wall for a lead-off home run. A couple of singles spread out between two outs allowed Sam Cothran to single home the tying run.
It took three more innings before the Trojans scored again and it came off the bat of Joe Koehler as he lifted a pitch over the right center field wall to regain the lead for Mount Olive 3-2. Mount Olive plated two more runs in the fifth as the Trojans used the production of Rob Shipman's RBI-single.
The Flying Fleet fought back and scored two runs of their own to bring the game to 5-4. The Fleet proceded to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth as Brandon Overstreet doubled home a run.
No offensive production by either side happened until the ninth. Mount Olive looked to push the lead out further an secure a win as Manning led the ninth off with a walk. Koehler singled and Shipman walked to load the bases. Bretton Gouthro came up with one away after a strikeout and reached on a fielder's choice and Manning scored. DeAndre Allen singled and Orrison doubled home two as Allen and Gouthro scored. Gailmard was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch as well as Orrison. Morozowski plated the final two runs as he doubled to left and Mount Olive led 11-5.
Erskine did not go away quietly in the bottom half as three straight singles loaded the bases with no one out. Zach Smith doubled to right and two runs came in. Logan Galliher used a sacrifice fly to score another run. The Trojans however, were able to stop the threat as two fly-outs sealed the fate of the Flying Fleet.
Jordy Farthing (4-1) picked up the win for Mount Olive in relief of the starter Gunnar Kines who went seven innings and allowed five runs off 12 hits and struck out seven. Farthing went the final two frames and gave up three runs off four hits and did not walk a batter.
Mount Olive will close out the series with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon in Due West, S.C.