Nationally eleventh-ranked University of Mount Olive swept Shepherd University 9-3, 10-4 in non-conference baseball Saturday afternoon in Mount Olive, N.C. David Mayo went 4-7 with two RBI to lead the Trojan offense.
Game One: Mount Olive 9 Shepherd 3
Mount Olive (2-1) wasted no time getting the offense started in the Trojan half of the first inning. Zak Orrison led off with a walk and Josh Black moved Orrison to second with a sacrifice bunt. After Orrison stole third, Joe Koehler singled in the first run of the game. Brett Lang singled to move Koehler to third. A wild pitch scored Koehler and moved Lang to second. A walk loaded the bases for David Mayo. Mayo scored two with an RBI double to the center field wall. Jack Sherrill drew a walk and Orrison came back up as the Trojans batted around. Orrison scored two more Trojans with an RBI single to left center as Mayo and Derek Deler came in. Black drew a walk and Koehler picked up his second hit and RBI in the inning with a single back up the middle and Mount Olive led big 7-0.
The Trojans plated a solo run in the second off a throwing error to increase their lead.
Shepherd (0-1) was able to bounce back in the third down 8-0. Back-to-back base hits by Brandon Kirk and Ron Farley plated the first two runs for the Rams. The final run of the inning came in on a throwing error by the Mount Olive catcher.
The remainder of the game stayed uneventful until Mount Olive tacked on the final run of game one in the eighth on a delayed steal of home by Orrison.
Bruce Zimmerman picked up his first win on the season as the junior lefthander went six complete allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and struck out five.
Jamie Driver picked up the loss as he went two innings allowing eight runs off six hits and struck out two.
Game Two: Mount Olive 10 Shepherd 4
In game two Mount Olive (3-1) continued to start off the game hot in the first. Orrison reached first on a drop third strike as the throw from the Shepherd (0-2) catcher was not in time. Orrison advance to second on a passed ball. Black frew a walk and Orrison moved up to third after a Koehler sacrifice fly to center. Lang drove in the game's first runs with a RBI double to center and took third on the throw in from the outfield. Deler singled Lang home on the next play and Mount Olive had another early lead.
The Rams went 1-2-3 in the top of the second and Mount Olive was posed to strike again. Mayo led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Alvin Swoop picked un an RBI with a single through the left side of the infield. Ricky Surum reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and the errant throw allowed Swoop to score from first. Black came up after a Orrison walk with one away and dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Black was put out at first and the backside throw from first sailed down the left field line and Orrison scored to make the lead 6-0.
Shepherd plated two runs in the fourth on two hits and a throwing error by the outfield and the Rams drew a bit closer.
The two squads exchanged solo runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings as the Trojans still led 8-4. Mount Olive added the final runs of the game in the seventh and completed the home opener sweep of Sherpherd at Scarborough Field.
Junior Austin Hutchison picked up the win after going five complete and allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits and struck out two.
John Bentley was charged with the loss. He went five complete allowing seven runs, four earned, on four hits and also struck out a pair.
Mount Olive is scheduled to round out the three gam series Sunday with a single nine inning game at Scarborough Field set for 1 p.m. Rain in the forecast may postpone the game. Check www.umotrojans.com for any updates.