University of Mount Olive completed the series sweep with an 11-1 win over Southern Wesleyan University Saturday morning at Scarborough Field for Conference Carolinas Baseball in Mount Olive, N.C.
Mount Olive (13-10 Overall, 7-5 Conference Carolinas) got rolling in the bottom of the first after a 1-2-3 top half. Brett Lang got on with a two out single through the left side of the infield. Stephen Wallace followed suit with a single into left and Lang moved up to second. Koehler singled in the game's first run with a base hit into left center as Lang came in to score.
The Trojans only struck for one run in the first but after Southern Wesleyan (10-18, 2-10) was retired in order again in the second, Mount Olive continued the attack. David Mayo led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. He then stole third and on the next pitch moved to third on a wild pitch. Julian Santos worked out a walk to put runners on first and second.
Ricky Surum dropped down a sacrifice bunt that scored Mayo and Santos went to second. Santos then stole third and Zak Orrison brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center and Mount Olive led 3-0.
Southern Wesleyan could not figure out Trojan starter Austin Hutchison until the top of the fifth after he had retired the first 13 batters he faced. Luke Hostetler broke through with a single off the glove of Hutchison. He then moved up to second on a wild pitch.
The first run for the Warriors came in on a bizarre play as Avery Mahon singled off the Trojan pitcher and was fielded by the Mount Olive catcher, who slid on his knee and to make a throw to first. The throw was not in time, but the ball slipped out of the Trojan catcher's hand and rolled towards the mound and allowed Mahon to score from second and the lead was trimmed to 3-1.
Mount Olive answered back in the bottom of the fifth as Jack Sherrill picked up a lead-off base hit. Lang drew a walk to put two runners on. Wallace drove home two with a slow rolling single up the middle and the Trojans. After back-to-back putouts Mayo hit a tailing ball to the right field corner. The right fielder was unable to make the diving catch and Mayo hustled around to third and got an RBI in the process as Wallace scored taking the Trojan lead to 6-1.
The Trojans added a run in the seventh off a hard base hit by Mayo that ricocheted off the Warrior shortstop and Deler came home from second after being hit by a pitch during his at bat.
Orrison added two more insurance runs in the eighth with a two run home run down the left field line and Mount Olive led 9-1. Brandon Day came in to pinch hit and instantly made his presence known as he picked up an RBI base hit to right center and scored Sherrill. Another run came in as a fly ball fell and Day scored.
Mount Olive shut down the Warriors in the ninth and took the series finale.
The Trojans will travel to Wingate, N.C. to face the Bulldogs of Wingate University Tuesday at 4 p.m. for a doubleheader.