Carly White tossed a six-hitter and benefited from an inning-ending 2-6-2 double play as fourth-seeded University of Mount Olive shut out No. 5 seed Erskine 4-0 in the first round of the 2014 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament Friday at Burlington, N.C. Kalie Smith sparked the Trojan offense with a solo home run.
With the win, Mount Olive (21-24) advances to a winner's bracket game. Due to extensive weather delays Friday, the Trojans' second round game has been moved to Saturday at noon.
Mount Olive broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third as Beth Overman beat out a slow roller to third and two unearned runs came in when the throw to first was off the mark. Ashleigh Mason scored all the way from first base.
With two outs in the fourth, Smith drove a 1-2 pitch opposite-field over the right field fence for her fourth home run of the season and a 3-0 Trojan lead. Smith has homered in the conference tournament in each of the last three years.
Erskine (17-22) threatened in the top of the fifth with runners on first and third and one out after Taylor Fernandes' single to left. Fernandes drew a throw to second to try to score pinch-runner Haileigh Spaulding from third. Trojan shortstop Jennifer Jones chased down Fernandes trying to go back to first, then fired a strike to catcher Kassie Lowe, who tagged Spaulding out at the plate for the double play.
Caitlin Ewers' pinch-hit double led to pinch-runner Megan Ready scoring in the bottom of the sixth.
White (7-5) retired the side in order on four pitches in the first inning, and also retired the side in order in the fourth and sixth innings. The Flying Fleet threatened in the seventh with runners on first and second with one out, but White sealed the win with an infield popout and her fifth strikeout of the game.
The Trojans take on the winner of top-seeded Limestone and No. 8 seed Lees-McRae.