Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C.-Home runs by junior Dillon Rudio and sophomore Mitchell Wheeler accounted for all of Barton College's run production in a 13-3 Conference Carolinas road loss at No. 1 nationally ranked Mount Olive College Friday evening at Scarborough Field.
The Trojans – ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and No. 2 by the NCBWA – scored 13 runs on 18 hits to improve to 19-2 overall and 6-1 in the league. The Bulldogs slipped to 5-10 and 1-6.
The two teams will conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at Noon.
Wheeler roped a solo home run to right field in the top of the first to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The third baseman has two home runs on the season.
MOC quickly leapfrogged in front for good with two runs in the home half of the first on a single by senior Germaine Berry.
The Trojans pulled away with four runs in the third, two in the sixth and five in the seventh. Mount Olive highlights included a two-run double by senior Daniel Oliver in the third and a two-run single by senior Geno Escalante in the seventh.
Escalante – the Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year in 2012 – was 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored. Berry also had four hits and three RBI.
Rudio belted his first home run in a Royal Blue and White uniform in the eighth inning. Rudio's two-run shot cleared the left field fence.
Barton was held to just four total hits as junior starter Matt Dillon improved to 4-0 with eight strong innings of work. The reigning Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year did allowed three earned runs on the homers by Rudio and Wheeler but pitched effectively the rest of the way with 11 strikeouts. Dillon remained undefeated on the season at 4-0.
Senior lefty Phillip Williams (0-1) suffered his first loss of the season allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and four walks over the first four innings.
Oliver matched Berry and Escalante with three RBI including a run-producing groundout in the sixth. Barton sophomore second baseman Spiers Miller made the defensive play of the game on the play. Oliver dribbled the ball to Miller, who bobbled the ball initially when deciding to go home or first with the ball, but then recovered with a behind-the-back toss to first to get the out.
