BURLINGTON, N.C. --- No. 25 University of Mount Olive baseball stayed alive in its third elimination game of the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship Tournament defeating the Tornado of King University 8-7 on Sunday afternoon in Burlington, N.C. The Trojans now advance to championship Monday to take on the No. 1 team in NCAA DII North Greenville for the Conference Carolinas Championship.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 8, King 7
Records: Mount Olive (36-13-1) King (29-19)
Location: Burlington Athletic Stadium, Burlington, N.C.
How It Happened
Play-by-Play
GAME RUNDOWN
- Mount Olive facing its third elimination game of the tournament came out firing as Trae Sweeting drew a lead-off walk and was immediately scored by Nate Estes on an RBI-double down the right-field line to give UMO the early lead.
- Estes then moved to third on a dropped third strike that allowed Jose Lopez to reach first safely putting runners at the corners with no one away.
- UMO loaded the bases after Lopez took second on a wild pitch and Justin Carroll worked out a walk.
- Drew Ellis drove in the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly and Mount Olive led 2-0.
- King responded in the bottom have with an RBI-double decreasing the lead to one.
- The Trojans wasted no time striking back, as they did so in the top of the second.
- James Smibert led off the inning with a walk and moved into scoring position when Chris Douglass reached safely on a sacrifice bunt that King threw away with an error allowing both runners to be safe.
- Sweeting then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Smibert and Douglass to third and second respectively.
- Nate Estes then reached on a fielding error by the Tornado third baseman and moved to second after the throw was also offline allowing Smibert to score and Douglass to take third.
- A wild pitch let the second run of the inning come home as Douglass touch home plate giving UMO a 4-1 lead.
- Lopez then lifted a pitch out to right field far enough to allow Estes to tag up and score giving Mount Olive a four-run lead heading into the bottom of the second.
- KU was unable to strand together much offense until the bottom of the fourth when Mount Olive struggled to find the strike zone and five consecutive one-out walks plated two runs for King bringing the deficit to 5-3.
- Mount Olive countered with an RBI-single in the sixth from Smibert that scored Ellis.
- The Trojans added some insurance runs in the eighth that begin with a lead-off single by Jordan Huntley. Smibert then moved Huntley into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but both runners were safe as King was unable to get an out on the play.
- Following another fielder's choice that took out Huntley at third, Sweeting singled into left scoring Smibert for the first run of the inning.
- Estes followed suit with an RBI-single through the left side that scored Douglass and Mount Olive led 7-3.
- Three RBI-singles gave King some hope as the Tornado brought the UMO lead down to 8-6 going into the final inning.
- In the ninth King made it slightly uncomfortable for the Trojans as a lead-off single got KU rolling. A fielder's choice gave UMO one out to work with and was quickly followed by a strikeout taking the Tornado down to their final out.
- A steal of second put a runner in scoring position and a single back up the middle brought the deficit down to just one run.
- A walk forced to the next Tornado batter forced a pitching change and luckily for the Trojans, the final out was recorded in foul ground and Mount Olive moved on to championship Monday.
KEY STATS
- Zack Burke (3-1) got the win for Mount Olive in relief as he pitched the middle four innings allowing two runs off four hits and struck out four.
- German Reyes (SV:1) was called on to record the final out and did so to pick up his first save of the season.
- Nate Estes led the Trojans for the second straight game on Sunday going 3-for-5 from the plate with two-RBI.
Up Next
The Trojans advance to championship Monday where Mount Olive will take on the No. 1 seed and No. 1 in NCAA DII North Greenville University at 12 p.m. Mount Olive will have to defeat the Crusaders twice on Monday to claim their 16th Conference Carolinas Championship.