Rob Shipman belted two home runs for the No. 24 University of Mount Olive, however lightning struck twice as a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth by University of North Georgia eliminated the Trojans from the 2015 Southeast Regional Tournament in Thomasville, N.C. with a final score of 6-5.
Mount Olive (39-16) came into the elimination game with some fire as the Trojans scored first in the second. Brett Lang drew a two seven pitch walk to put a runner on the base paths. Shipman came up and behind in the count 1-2 drilled a ball over the right field wall for a no doubter two run blast.
North Georgia (38-16) struck back in the fifth. Devin Gearhart walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a ground out. Connor Hoover singled to move Gearhart to third. A balk allowed the first run of the game to come in as Gearhart came in and Hoover went to second. Hoover advanced to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Edwards and the game was tied at two.
Shipman was first pitch swinging as he led off the Mount olive half of the sixth and picked up his second home run of the game. It was the sole run for the Trojans in the sixth but they did regain the lead.
The Nighthawks' Travis Naraine singled through the right side to start off the bottom of the sixth. He moved to third after a ground out and a single by Steven Tomlinson. A walk loaded the bases for Gearhart to drive in a run with a single to right. Another wild pitch allowed the go ahead run to score in Tomlinson.
Headed into the eighth North Georgia added an insurance run by way of a RBI-single from Hoover after a lead-off double by Gearhart.
Mount Olive came into their final set of at bats down 5-3. Tyler Farmer drew a walk to start the wheels turning. Zak Orrison and Kilgore Gailmard singled to load the bases. Jason Morozowski hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field and in turn allowed Farmer to tag up and tie the game. Four pitches later Justin Manning drove home the go ahead run with a RBI-double down the left field line and the game was tied. On the play Gailmard was tagged out at third after trying to move up on the throw from left.
North Georgia only need on pitch to end the Trojans season as Tremayne Toorie took a fastball right down the middle over the left field wall for a walk-off home run and Mount Olive was eliminated from the Southeast regional.
Mark Harris (0-3) got the loss on the mound for Mount Olive after throwing two thirds and allowing the home run.
Chris Cobb (7-0) picked up the win as he pitched the final three innings and allowed two runs off three hits and struck out two.
Not many times in a baseball game will you see a team lose a game twice in the same way.
"I don't know what to say either. We walked seven guys and hit two and were still in the ball game. We have fought through a lot of adversity this year and the guys came up here and responded and I'm proud of the guys. I've never had that happen [losing two games by a walk-off home run] before, but that's baseball. You have to take care of the baseball on defense and we hurt ourselves on the bases and that cost us at least one possibly two runs.
The guys fought hard to come back down two in the ninth. We had a good season, I'm proud of the guys for showing up" Head coach Carl Lancaster after the game.
Jason Morozowski and Gunnar Kines were named to the NCAA DII Southeast Regional All-tournament team following the conclusion of the championship game.