Mount Olive Falls To Lenoir-Rhyne 7-6 In NCAA II Regional Elimination Game

Mount Olive Falls To Lenoir-Rhyne 7-6 In NCAA II Regional Elimination Game

No. 8 seed University of Mount Olive jumped out to an early lead, but was unable to withstand a Lenoir-Rhyne rally as the Trojans' season came to an end with a 7-6 loss in an elimination game in the 2014 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Saturday at Dahlonega, Ga. Tiffany Hawley went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored for the Trojans.

Mount Olive (24-26) scored two early runs in an unconventional way. In the first Kelsey Akers drew a lead-off walk and was pushed to second on a groundout by Ashleigh Mason. Beth Overman worked out the second walk of the inning. Tiffany Hawley was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Trojans. Kalie Smith got the first run across with a RBI-walk to bring in Akers and the bases remained loaded.

The fourth walk was issued to Jennifer Jones and the Trojans took a 2-0 lead

Starting Senior Carly White started game two as well for Mount Olive and shutdown Lenoir-Rhyne (40-14) only giving up one hit.

In the second UMO continued to swing the hot bat. Akers with one away singled past the shortstop. Akers stole second and one out later advanced to third on a passed ball. Overman drew her second walk of the game and runners were now on the corners. Hawley got the Trojans second hit of the game with a RBI-single through the left side and brought in Akers. Smith hit a shot to third and the throw was off the mark and rolled up the right field foul territory; Hawley and Overman scored as Smith took third.

Lenoir-Rhyne scored their opening run in the second. Lauren Elder singled to start the inning. Following a fly out Brittany Coursen singled into right and Elder moved to second. Dakota Keller with two outs scored the run off a single that dropped in front of the right fielder and the Bears drew a tad closer 5-1.

Madison Johnston came into the game in the third in relief of White. Johnston walked two batters in her first inning of worked but was able to retire the side and kept Lenoir-Rhyne from adding any runs in the third.

The Bears started to breathe some life into their offensive in the fifth. Sydney Landreth singled to begin the fifth. Chelsea Castellanos pinch ran for Landreth at first. Hally Jarman drew a walk and Ashley Oliver singled to right to load the bases. Elder walked and brought home the second run for Lenoir-Rhyne as Castellanos came home. Sarah Kenley drove a ball out to right center that rolled to the wall and plated two more as Oliver and Jarman scored to bring the game to 5-4 still in favor of the Trojans.

Freshman Caitlin Ewers entered the game in a bit of a jam with runners at second and third. Ciera Cockerham was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ewers then recorded out number two with a fly ball that was not deep enough to score the runner from third. Jody Mizelle came up with the game-tying hit as she drove in Elder with a RBI-single to center and the game was tied at five.

Akers started off the sixth with a walk for Mount olive. Akers was moved to second on a groundout from Mason to give Mount Olive some momentum. After a strikeout Hawley came through with a huge hit as she took a pitch and went opposite field as the ball landed in left and the speedy Mason scored from second to give the Trojans the lead. Hannah Woodard came in to pinch hit for Hawley. Another base hit by Smith put runners at the corners however the solo run was all Mount Olive got in the sixth.

White came back in the game in relief with runners at first and second after two previous straight walks. A groundout was the first recorded out and then Coursen lined a shot back up the middle and drove in two as Elder and Oliver scored and the Bears took the lead 7-6 in the sixth.

In the top of the seventh Mount Olive did not go away. Katie Moore got on base with a one out double to right center. However, Moore got stranded and the Trojans dropped a back and forth game to Lenoir-Rhyne 7-6.

White (10-7) picked up the loss for the Trojans. White went two and two thirds allowing one run off five hits and added a strikeout.

Maryann Hoskins (1-0) picked up the win in relief on the Bears' starter as she went six and two thirds. She gave up one run off five hits and had 13 strikeouts.