No. 24 Mount Olive Baseball Falls In Three-Game Series To Southern Wesleyan

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- The No.24 University of Mount Olive Trojans fell in a three-game Conference Carolinas series to the Southern Wesleyan Warriors dropping games one and two by the scores of 6-5 and 9-5, before taking the finale 4-3 in extra innings over the weekend.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: 
Game 1: Southern Wesleyan 6, Mount Olive 5
Game 2: Southern Wesleyan 9, Mount Olive 5
Game 3: Mount Olive 4, Southern Wesleyan 3

Records: Mount Olive (24-11, 12-8 CC) Southern Wesleyan (15-23, 6-14 CC)
Location: C Keith Conner Field, Central, S.C.

How It Happened
Game 1: Play-by-Play
Game 2: Play-by-Play
Game 3: Play-by-Play

GAME ONE

• Mount Olive took the early lead in the top of the first as Gunner Tolston earned a lead-off walk and was followed up by a single up the middle by Joe Mason.
• Back-to-back passed balls allowed Tolston and Mason to move up and eventually give Tolston the opportunity to score the first UMO run.
• JT Stone still at the plate with Mason on third plated the second run with a sacrifice fly to left and Mount Olive carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the first.
• Southern Wesleyan led off the bottom half with a single and following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout the Warriors had a runner at third with two away. 
• A passed ball allowed the lead-off runner to score and UMO's lead was cut down 2-1 after one complete.
• The Trojans struck for two more runs in the top of the fourth on a Zack Smith RBI-single to right and a Blake McLean RBI-groundout and UMO extended their lead to 4-1.
• A sacrifice fly by Jett Swetland added another run for the Trojans in the sixth making the advantage four.
• The seventh inning proved to be a turning point as SWU scored four runs to tie the game at five follow a couple of RBI base hits and two passed balls.
• Mount Olive only had a runner reach base in the eighth but could not bring him around to score despite being in scoring position and SWU came to bat in the ninth.
• A lead-off walk led to the decisive blow two batters later as a sacrifice fly allowed the Warriors to walk-off with the win 6-5.

GAME TWO

• Mount Olive saw a lead-off error in the bottom of the first come back to hunt them as two batters following the error SWU took the 1-0 lead.
• A sacrifice fly and a groundout added two more runs and the Warriors led by three.
• UMO added single runs in the second and third on an RBI-groundout from Junior Snow and a passed ball, to decrease the deficit to 3-2 after two and a half.
• Southern Wesleyan added a pair of runs in the third and increased their advantage to three.
• After a scoreless top of the fourth, the Warriors came back with a vengeance scoring four runs on two base hits, a sacrifice fly and a groundout to jump out to a 9-2 lead.
• JT Stone plated Joe Mason with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to decrease the deficit to six but UMO still had a little bit of fuel in the tank.
• It would not be until the seventh that the Trojans struck for more runs as a Nate Estes RBI-single and a balk scored two runs and Mount Olive trailed 9-5.
• Unfortunately the scoring did not continue after the run-scoring balk and UMO ran out of out and fell in the second game of the series.

GAME THREE

• The series finale did not see a lot of scoring for a majority of the game as neither team found the run column until the sixth.
• Gunner Tolston led off the top half of the inning with a single to left and following two strikeouts, Junior Snow lifted a ball over the left field wall to score the first runs of the game and put UMO up 2-0.
• Tolston homered himself in the seventh and extended the Trojans' lead to three after seven complete innings.
• Heading into the ninth the Trojans were unable to hold the three-run lead as the Warriors stormed back on three RBI base hits and tied the game to force extra innings.
• In the 10th Mason got on base with one away to start the offense for UMO. 
• After Mason stole second Stone singled into center and Mason attempted to give Mount Olive the lead but was tagged out at the plate and the inning continued.
• Snow then helped the cause by getting a base hit and the throw home was not in time to get Stone and Mount Olive finally regained the lead.
• Southern Wesleyan was able to get the tying run to third in the bottom half but the Trojans were able to close the door on the series finale and take it 4-3.

KEY STATS GAME 1

• Jake Isbell (2-1) suffered the loss in relief going the final inning and a third giving up one run off one hit and struck out two.
• Zack Smith led the Trojans going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

KEY STATS GAME 2

• Caleb Irwin (5-1) was tabbed with the loss in game two as he allowed five runs, four earned, off four hits and walked two through his two and two-thirds innings of work.
• JT Stone led the Trojans in game two going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

KEY STATS GAME 3

• Austin Kapela (1-1) picked up the win in relief pitching two-thirds of an inning.
• Trey Pate (SV:2) record the save getting the final two outs in the ninth.
• Junior Snow led the Trojans in game three going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

Up Next

Mount Olive returns home to Scarborough Field April 9 when the Trojans will host the Patriots of Francis Marion in a single non-conference matchup. First pitch from the diamond is scheduled for 5 p.m.