Box Score by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team committed three errors, including two in the first inning, leading to a 10-9 loss to rival University of Mount Olive on Sunday afternoon at Nixon Field.
The two first inning errors led to four early runs for the Trojans as Mount Olive (18-14, 10-8) led 4-1 following an RBI single from Barton's Andrew Webster after one inning of play.
Barton (23-12, 11-7) tied the game at 4-4 with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the third. Webster drove in two runs with an RBI triple before senior Ben Williams drove in the tying run from third with a groundout to first base.
A sacrifice fly in the fourth put UMO back on top as two runs in the sixth inning extended the Trojan lead to a 7-4 advantage.
The Bulldogs responded with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back doubles from junior Tyler Garrett and Calvin Hawke to take an 8-7 lead.
Another sacrifice fly for Mount Olive tied the game at eight-all in the seventh. UMO retook the lead with two runs in the eighth inning, scoring on a balk and a single to left field for a 10-8 edge.
Williams drove in his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, scoring freshman Ricks Dearing from third and bringing BC to within one run of the UMO lead. Barton loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but a swinging strikeout ended the game.
Junior Kerry Walker started on the mound for Barton and allowed seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits with four strikeouts, but hit four Mount Olive batters and walked three more.
Sophomore Andrew Davis (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeouts in one inning of relief, before freshman Blake Helms pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits.
Garrett, set the Barton single season stolen base record with two steals in the game, was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Webster was 2-for-3 in the game with a triple, driving in three runs and scoring another, while Hawke finished 3-for-6 with a double, two RBI and a run scored of his own.
Barton travels to Murfreesboro, N.C. on Tuesday, April 5 for a non-conference doubleheader with Chowan University beginning at 1 p.m.
