No. 3 seed University of Mount Olive was eliminated from the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament Saturday after suffering a 1-0 defeat to No. 1 seed Limestone College in Burlington, N.C. The Trojans won three straight elimination game on Friday before falling Saturday.
Mount Olive (33-20) struggled to get more than a single hit in any of the four innings against Limestone. The top of the fifth inning was the first chance for the Trojans to crack the 0-0 tie. Caitlin Ewers led off the inning with a single up the middle. Charlene Thompson came in to run for Ewers and two batters later end up second after a groundout. Savannah Becker drew a walk and Kayla Allen singled past short to load the bases with two away. Mount Olive was unable to plate the go ahead run and the game continued with no score.
Limestone cracked the boards first as a lead-off walk led to an RBI-single for Emma Swearingen with two outs and the Saints to a 1-0 lead.
The Trojans attempted for a comeback in their final set of at bats. Ewers again led off and found space down the right field line for a single. Reagan Anderson came in to run for Ewers and moved to second on a Brooke Kamphuis single down the left field line. Kelsey Akers dropped down a sacrifice bunt and moved the runners to second and third. Limestone, however closed the door as back-to-back popouts ended the Trojans season.
Prior to the game Saturday against Limestone Mount Olive held off elimination three straight times. Game one of the day was against the Trojans arch rivals No. 8 seed Barton College. Mount Olive broke a scoreless ball game on the bat of Ewers as her RBI-double to left center was the only run producing hit as the Trojans won 1-0.
Game two of the day saw the Trojans taking on the No. 4 seed Flying Fleet of Erskine. Mount Olive broke the tie in the bottom of the third on RBI-singles by Becker and Anna Ingram.
Erskine fought back and took the lead 4-2 after a Pair of RBI-singles, a Trojan throwing error, and a sacrifice fly pushed the Flying Fleet into the lead.
Mount Olive battled back in the bottom of the seventh. Allen doubled home Becker and Anderson to tie the game. Ingram knocked in the walk-off run as she reached on a fielding error by the Flying Fleet's shortstop and Mount Olive stayed alive taking the game 5-4.
In the third and final game of the day Mount Olive took on No. 7 seed King. Mount Olive took the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI-single by Allen. King tied the game on a solo home run in the top of the second, but the tie did not last long.
The Trojans came back in the bottom half of the second and utilized three RBI-singles by Kamphuis, Becker, and Allen to reclaim the lead 4-1. King was able to tie the game in the top of the fourth, but once again Mount Olive took the lead in the bottom half. The Trojan lead was not retaken by the Tornado and Mount Olive moved on.
Mount Olive ends the season third in the Conference Carolinas with a 16-6 record and an 33-20 overall record.
Following the championship game, Mount Olive placed two Trojans on the All-Conference Carolinas All-tournament team. Kelsey Akers and Kayla Allen were named to the All-Tournament team for their performances in the tournament.