Jennifer Jones drove in four runs with a two-run homer and a two-out go-ahead two-run single as University of Mount Olive rallied from a three-run deficit for a 5-4 victory over Tusculum College in the Armstrong Atlantic State University Softball Tournament Sunday at Savannah, Ga. Starting pitcher Carly White overcame a rough first inning for the win and Madison Johnston picked up the save as the Trojans won their season opener.
Mount Olive ended up splitting its two tournament games, falling to host and nationally fifth-ranked Armstrong 9-1 in the tournament finale. The Trojans were supposed to play four games, but rain washed out all of Saturday's play.
In the opener, Mount Olive (1-1) spotted Tusculum a 3-0 lead after one inning before Jones put the Trojans on the scoreboard with a two-run homer to centerfield with nobody out in the top of the second. White led off the inning with a single.
Tusculum (0-2) extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Nicole Ball.
The Trojans loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fifth as Kelsey Akers and Beth Overman led off with back-to-back singles and Katie Moore reached on an error. Akers scored and Overman advanced to third on Savannah Becker's sacrifice fly to pull Mount Olive within 4-3.
Moore stole second to put two runners in scoring position and one out later, Jones singled to give Mount Olive its first lead of the game.
White (1-0) walked a batter and gave up three consecutive run-scoring hits with one out in the bottom of the first, but retired 11 of the next 14 batters she face. Johnston took over to start the fifth and allowed only one hit in three scoreless innings after the Trojans went on top.
Against Armstrong (1-0), Becker's two-out rbi-double in the top of the fourth drove in Moore with the Trojans' lone run. Three home runs sparked the Pirates against Mount Olive.
Mount Olive heads to Western North Carolina next weekend for a pair of non-conference doubleheaders. The Trojans travel to Hickory, N.C., Saturday at 1 p.m. to take on Lenoir-Rhyne, then go to Mars Hill, N.C., Sunday at 2 p.m. to face Mars Hill.