Caitlin Ewers' first collegiate grand slam home run keyed a seven-run third inning as University of Mount Olive outslugged Queens University of Charlotte 13-12 in game two of a non-conference softball doubleheader Sunday at Charlotte, N.C. Beth Overman tied a school record with four runs scored and hit what proved to be a game-winning solo home run in the top of the seventh.
The game two win gave Mount Olive a split after falling to Queens 13-4 in the opener. The Royals broke the game open with a seven-run third inning.
Mount Olive (13-21) trailed 2-0 in the nightcap when Savannah Becker led off the top of the third with her second home run of the season. Kelsey Akers and Ashleigh Mason both singled and Overman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Katie Moore's single tied the game and Ewers drove a pitch opposite field over the left-center field fence to give the Trojans a 6-2 lead.
Jennifer Jones doubled with one out and Becker capped the inning with a two-out run-scoring single, her second hit and second rbi of the inning.
After Queens (14-16) scored two runs in the bottom of the third, the Trojans came back with four runs in the top of the fourth. Moore singled in a pair of runs and Kassie Lowe added an rbi-single to give Mount Olive an 11-4 lead.
Ewers answered a Queens run with an rbi-single in the top of the fifth, but the Royals came back with six runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 12-11.
After the first two Trojan batters were retired in the top of the seventh, Overman also went opposite field to left-center for her fifth home run of the season to extend Mount Olive's lead to 13-11.
Queens threatened in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third and nobody out. But Carly White, the Trojans' third pitcher of the game, limited the Royals to one run with a 4-3 double play and a game-ending groundout. White, who also induced a 5-4-3 double play in the sixth inning, earned her first save of the season, while starter Lauren Smith (3-8) picked up the win.
Ewers and Mason paced Mount Olive's 18-hit attack with three hits apiece. Five other Trojans each collected two hits.
Overman became the third player in Trojan history and the first in three years to score four runs in a game. Kelly Minshew scored four runs against St. Andrews in 2011.
In the opener, Kalie Smith's leadoff home run in the top of the second pulled the Trojans within 2-1 before Queens broke the game open in the third. Akers' two-run single highlighted a three-run fourth inning to draw within 9-4. The Royals answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning and held the Trojans scoreless in the top of the fifth to secure the run-rule victory.
Sunday's doubleheader marked the first meetings between the two teams since Mount Olive eliminated Queens from last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament. The Trojans won 3-0 as Lauren Smith retired 21 straight batters after allowing a bunt single to lead off the game. Queens is now a member of the South Atlantic Conference.
Mount Olive is back in action Monday afternoon as the Trojans head down I-85 to Gaffney, S.C., to take on Limestone in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader. The twinbill was originally scheduled for Saturday, but pushed back due to the weather.