MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- University of Mount Olive swept Limestone College in route to winning the three-game series on the road on Saturday afternoon in Gaffney, S.C.
GAME INFORMATION
Score:
Game 1: Mount Olive 5, Limestone 3
Game 2: Mount Olive 11, Limestone 10
Records: Mount Olive (29-11-1, 17-4 CC) King (24-16, 10-12 CC)
Location: Scarborough Field, Mount Olive, N.C.
How It Happened
Game 1: Play-by-Play
Game 2: Play-by-Play
GAME ONE
- Mount Olive and Limestone exchanged blows as the scored remained tied at one after both squads used RBI-singles to score a run in the first inning.
- In the second inning, Trae Sweeting doubled home Chris Douglass to regain the lead for UMO, 2-1.
- A Jose Lopez RBI-double in the third and a Sweeting RBI-single in the fourth propelled Mount Olive to a 4-1 cushion heading into the bottom half.
- Limestone did, however, find a pair of run in the bottom of the fourth off a two-run home run as the Saints drew to within one, 4-3.
- Justin Carroll gave the Trojans the final boost they needed with a solo shot in the top of the seventh as UMO held off LC to take the second game of the series.
KEY STATS GAME 1
- Reed Parris (5-2) got the win on the mound as he as he allowed three runs off five hits and struck one over his four innings of work.
- Zach Vennaro (Sv:10) came in for the final three innings and got the save as he struck out three to close out the game.
- Trae Sweeting led the team going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
GAME TWO
- Game two started out rough for Mount Olive as the Saints jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first two innings.
- Chris Douglass singled with one away in the third to get UMO a little bit of momentum and Trae Sweeting followed that up with a bases-clearing home run to center to tie the game up at two in the top of the third.
- Nate Estes drew a walk to continue the inning and Drew Ellis gave Mount Olive its second big fly of the inning, as well as the lead as his shot landed over the right-field fence and the Trojans, led 5-2.
- Not to be outdone, following a flyout, Jose Lopez found his pitch and deposited it over the left field fence for the third home run of the inning and the third different spot in the ballpark and extend the lead to four.
- UMO added four more runs in the top of the sixth on an RBI-single by James Smibert, sacrifice fly by Sweeting, and a two-run home run by Estes to move the Mount Olive lead to 10-2.
- Limestone clawed its way back scoring six runs over the next two innings as the Trojans lead shrunk to 11-8 after the seventh inning.
- A two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth with one out brought the UMO lead to just a single run, but Mount Olive was able to hold off the Saint from completing the comeback and took the second game, sweeping the doubleheader and winning the series two games to one.
KEY STATS GAME 2
- Trey Pate (2-0) picked up the win on the mound in relief in game two as he did not allow a run in his two innings pitched and struck out a three.
- Hunter Britt (SV:1) came in to record the final two out and picked up his first save of the season registering two strikeouts.
- Sweeting and Lopez both led the Trojans in game two three-RBI performances.
Up Next
Mount Olive's regular season comes to a close and the Trojans have secured the #2 seed in the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship. UMO will face off with King University on April 26 at 3 p.m. in Burlington, N.C. in the first round of the tournament.