No. 7 seed University of Mount Olive upset the No. 1 seed Columbus State as the Trojans won 7-2 in an elimination game Friday night from Columbus, Ga. Mount Olive used a five-run bottom of the third to jump in front for good.
Mount Olive (33-20) fought back after surrendering an early solo home run in the first inning.
Joe Koehler answered for the Trojans with a solo home run of his own and tied the game up at one in the bottom of the second.
Mount Olive broke through in the bottom of the third. Brandon Day reached first base safely after a dropped third strike got away from the Columbus State (42-14) catcher and the Trojans had a base runner. Zak Orrison singled past the shortstop and Day moved to second. Jack Sherrill doubled home Day for the go-ahead run. Brett Lang contributed as well with a two RBI-single to straight away center. Stephen Wallace put the cap on the inning with a two-run home run to right and Mount Olive pushed the lead out to 6-1.
Ricky Surum singled through the left side of the infield to get Mount Olive going again in the bottom of the fourth. Day dropped down a sacrifice bunt and moved Surum into scoring position. Sherrill pushed home another run, one out later, when he reached on a throwing error that allowed Surum to score from second.
Columbus State doubled home a run in the top of the eighth, however, it was the final run for the Cougars.
Trojan starter Brighton Hudson shut the door in the ninth on his way to a complete game win for the Trojans. Hudson allowed two runs off 13 hits and also struck out a pair.
Mount Olive will move on to play Tusculum at 3:30 p.m. in Columbus, Ga.
