Beth Overman's fourth inning grand slam erased an early UNC Pembroke lead, and Mount Olive Trojans held on for an 8-6 non-conference win in the opener of a doubleheader at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field Tuesday evening. In the nightcap, the Braves broke open a pitcher's duel with nine runs in their final two at-bats in a 9-0 win.
In the opener, Mount Olive dug itself an early hole as three errors opened the door for a four-run top of the first for UNC Pembroke. The Trojans settled down in the field after the rough beginning and slowly chipped away at the deficit. In the second, Savannah Becker led off with a single and moved to second when Kalie Smith was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, then scored on a two-out single by Kassie Lowe and a bases-loaded walk to Overman.
Trojan starter Christie Wright (6-1) shut down the Braves' offense after the first, retiring 11 of the final 14 batters she faced before giving way to Carly White with one out in the fifth. White allowed one unearned in three innings to earn her first save of the season.
Mount Olive still trailed 4-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth. Tiffany Hawley got things started with a single to left and pinch runner Megan Ready raced to third on a double by Wright. After an infield pop-out, Danielle Mitchell walked to load the bases for Overman. The sophomore's eighth blast of the season cleared the left field fence with ease and put her team ahead for good.
UNC Pembroke did not go down without a fight, however. After a lead-off walk in the top of the fifth chased Wright from the hill, Hartley delivered her third hit of the game, an RBI-single to center to cut the lead to 6-5. The Braves put runners on second and third in the fifth before White coaxed a groundout from Kellie VanDyke.
Mount Olive added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Smith was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, then moved to second on a single by Hawley. A double by Lauren McGrath scored a run, then Mitchell beat out an infield hit to make it 8-5. The runs proved important when the Braves mounted a rally in the seventh.
With one out, Hartley reached on an error, then scored on a double by Caitlin Steel, bringing the tying run to the plate. White got a line out from VanDyke to end the game.
In the nightcap, pitchers Lauren Smith and Natalie Klemann were masterful for the first four innings. Smith (5-4) held the Braves to four singles through the first four innings. Three of the hits UNC Pembroke managed came with two outs and the bases empty. Klemann (7-12) worked her way out of trouble in the third when Mount Olive (25-9) got a single by Overman and a double from Katie Moore with two outs. The Trojans could not break the scoreless tie, however.
Klemann retired 10 of the last 11 Trojans in the complete game win.
UNC Pembroke (20-31) finally broke the tie in the top of the fifth. With one out, the Braves got singles from Karlee Wilson and Taylor Cloninger before Kaytee Wilson blasted her third homer of the season. An inning later, she added a bases-clearing double as part of a six-run outburst.
Mount Olive returns to action Thursday when Barton comes to Nancy Chapman Cassell Field for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. The games were originally scheduled for April 4, but were postponed because of weather.