Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
(Special thanks to Mount Olive sports information for contributing portions of the release)
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C.-Senior Phillip Williams drove in a run for visiting Barton College in each game of Saturday's doubleheader but top-ranked Mount Olive College completed the series sweep with 8-1 and 11-4 victories at Scarborough Field.
Mount Olive – ranked No. 1 nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Coaches' Poll and No. 2 in the NCBWA Poll – increased its records to 21-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference. The Bulldogs fell to 5-12 and 1-8.
Barton will next host Tusculum College for a three-game weekday set beginning with a Noon doubleheader at Fleming Stadium on Tuesday.
GAME ONE: Mount Olive 8, Barton 1
Alex Regan struck out six batters and picked off two runners on his way to a seven-inning complete game as the Trojans won the opener 8-1. Mike Mercurio, Geno Escalante and Daniel Oliver contributed two-out doubles in a six-run third inning for Mount Olive.
Braden Reitano's fifth home run of the season gave Mount Olive a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and the Trojans' broke the game open in the third. Will Bynum singled in a run and eventually scored on Reitano's one-out sacrifice fly. Mercurio and Escalante followed with back-to-back doubles to extend the lead to 4-0. After Jermaine Berry drew a walk, Oliver drove in the fourth run of the inning with a double. Zak Orrison lined a two-run single left to cap the inning and give the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
Barton avoided the shutout when Williams drilled a two-out solo home run over the right field fence. Williams moved into a tie with junior Collins Cuthrell for the team lead in homers with three on the season.
Regan (4-1) retired the first seven batters he faced before Phillip Cotten lined a single up the middle with one out in the third. But Regan picked Cotten off first and got a flyout to end the inning. He allowed a two-out single in the fifth, but ended the inning with another pickoff. Regan recorded four strikeouts in the final two innings, including strikeouts for the final two outs of the game. He finished with a five-hitter.
Williams had Barton's only extra base hit with his long ball. Senior starter Kyle Norville (1-3) took the loss allowing seven runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings of work.
GAME TWO: Mount Olive 11, Barton 4
A three-run second inning and a four-run fourth inning provided more than enough for pitcher Chris Orphanos to remain unbeaten on the season and pick up his second straight win as the Trojans took the nightcap 11-4.
Barton got on the scoreboard in the top of the first for the second time in three games, although Mount Olive left fielder Matt Petrone's defensive play prevented a big inning. After Dillon Rudio led off the game with a single, Mitchell Wheeler followed with a blast to left that was heading out of the park. Petrone raced to the fence and reached over to catch the ball and rob Wheeler of a two-run homer. Rudio scored one batter later on Williams' double to left to give Barton a 1-0 lead. The run was the Bulldogs' first of the series that did not come from a home run.
Mount Olive took the lead for good in the bottom of the second as Berry singled, Tyler Farmer drew a two-out walk, and both runners came home on Bryan Dunlavey's double to right. Dunlavey scored on Orrison's single to give the Trojans a 3-1 lead.
Mercurio doubled in a run in the third and followed with a two-run single in the fourth. Petrone had an RBI-single and Escalante's sacrifice fly capped the inning as Mount Olive extended its lead to 8-1. Single runs in the fifth and sixth innings pushed the Trojans' run total to double digits.
Orphanos (5-0) went seven innings, striking out seven and walking none. Saturday's contest was Orphanos' second of the season after making his first five appearances out of the bullpen.
Talton Cherry, the second of three Trojan pitchers in the game, retired the side in order in the eighth in his one inning of work.
Barton added three unearned runs in the top of the ninth for the final score. Sophomores JT Bunce and Avery Harper and red shirt freshman Bobby Jones all scored for the Bulldogs in the late comeback attempt.
Sophomore starter Duncan Everett (1-4) suffered the loss for BC giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings.
