Box Score by Kevin Buczek
BURLINGTON, N.C.-Twelfth-ranked and top-seeded University of Mount Olive held sixth-seeded Barton College to just three more hits after senior shortstop Dillon Rudio led off the game with a solo home run to rally to a 3-1 victory in the last game of the first day of the 2014 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament at Burlington Athletic Stadium Thursday.
The Trojans (37-11 overall), who are ranked second in the current NCAA Division II Southeast Region Top-8 Poll, will next play third-seeded Pfeiffer University on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. The Falcons lost their tourney opener to fourth-seeded King Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (14-31), who are making their first postseason appearance since 2011, will play an early elimination game against fifth-seeded Limestone College on Friday at 11 a.m. The Saints fell to second-seeded Erskine Friday.
UMO freshman Kodi Whitley and senior Josh Frederick combined for the four hitter. Whitley was named Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year just before first pitch and then tossed 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win. Whitley gave up the leadoff blast by Rudio but then settled down and only gave up two more hits to improve to 6-1. Frederick was dominate in his 3 2/3 innings of relief work striking out six of the first nine batters he faced to earn his fourth save.
Whitley hit junior Avery Harper with a pitch and junior Mitchell Wheeler followed with a double in the left field gap to give the Bulldogs two runners in scoring position with only one out but Frederick took over on the mound and ended BC's best threat with a strikeout and a flyout.
Rudio hit his team-high fifth homer over the left field fence.
Junior centerfielder Jay Gonzalez used his speed to tie the score for Mount Olive in the third. The leadoff batter hit a double and eventually scored from third on a delayed double steal with senior Braden Reitano, the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year.
Gonzalez swiped two bases to increase his NCAA Division II leading total to 48 stolen bases. Gonzalez and junior Justin Manning each collected three base knocks as the Trojans outhit the Bulldogs by an 11-4 margin.
Manning scored the UMO's go-ahead and insurance runs. The catcher led off the fourth with a single and scored on an outfield fielding error. Manning added a double to begin the sixth and later touched home plate for a second time on an RBI single by junior Cody Britt.
BC's four hits came in four different innings. Freshmen Andrew Webster and Tyler Garrett added singles to complement Rudio's homer and Wheeler's double.
Junior Brandon Warren hurled the first three innings for the Bulldogs and settled for a no-decision allowing just one run. Classmate Kyle Rufer (3-5) suffered the loss after toeing the rubber for the next 2 1/3 innings despite one of the two runs he gave up being unearned.
The victory marked the 20th consecutive win for Mount Olive over Barton dating back to the Bulldogs last series win in 2009.
