Jason Morozowski and Chris Leduc combined to go 7-for-8 as the No. 24 University of Mount Olive defeated University of North Georgia 5-1 in the second round of the 2015 NCAA DII Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament in Thomasville, N.C. Derek Justice recorded his 26th career victory, adding to his school record for most career wins.
Mount Olive (39-14) picked up their first hit of the game in the third inning when Kilgore Gailmard singled through the left side. Morozowski hit a rope shot down the left field line for a single and moved Gailmard to second. With two away, Joe Koehler hit a long fly ball to left center that banged off the wall for a two RBI-double and the Trojans took the game's first lead.
Justice retired the side in order in the fourth and Mount Olive got right back to producing. Rob Shipman led-off with a single into left. Chris Leduc doubled down the left field line and Shipman took third. Tyler Farmer delivered with a sacrifice fly to left center and Shipman scored. One run was all the Trojans managed in the fourth, but took a 3-0 lead.
Another 1-2-3 inning for North Georgia (36-16) in the fifth allowed for Mount Olive's offensive to continue to apply more pressure. Jason Morozowski hit a no doubter to straight right field for a lead-off home run. Justin Manning and Koehler both drew a walk. Two putouts later, Leduc came up and delivered another big hit as Manning scored on the RBI-single up the middle.
"We had an approach coming into tonight and I just stuck to it and I got some pitches that I saw up and it was fun" said Morozowski on his 4-for-4 night.
The Nighthawks found a way to score in the seventh. Travis Naraine singled to start the inning. Tremayne Toorie singled as well to give North Georgia two base runners. Steven Thomlinson reached on a fielder's choice and Toorie was eliminated at second. Devin Gerhart scored the first run for the Nighthawks as he lifted a pitch far enough for Naraine to tag up on the sacrifice fly.
Kodi Whitley came in in the eighth and got the final two outs of the inning and stayed in to close out the game. North Georgia however did scratch a single out of Whitley, but the right hander struck out the final batter.
Justice (9-3) got the win as he allowed just one run off four hits and struck out four. Whitley came in for the final one and two thirds and gave up one hit and struck out three.
"I just threw whatever pitch I thought I could throw for a strike was what I did when I was in pressure situations" said Justice after the game
Brandon Agar (4-5) took the loss for North Georgia as he allowed all five runs on seven hits and struck out three.
Mount Olive stays in the winner's bracket and has a quick turnaround as they will face regional host Catawba College Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
"It was a great game and we have played very well the last two ball games and these two guys [Derek Justice and Jason Morozowski] were a big part of the win tonight. I can't imagine wanting to play any other time than tomorrow morning at 11, because that means you're in the winner's bracket. It's a big game tomorrow; the biggest game I think tomorrow, the winner gets to wait another day and the loser has to turn around and play again at night" said Head Coach Carl Lancaster in the post-game press conference.