WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (23-22, 13-14) came up just short with a 7-6 setback to rival Mount Olive (28-17, 15-12) Sunday afternoon in a Conference Carolinas game at Nixon Field.
The Trojans' Jack Casbarro (Mount Olive, N.C.) hit his team-leading 12th home run of the season – a two-run round-tripper – and Mount Olive jumped out to a 5-0 advantage in the second inning and held on to take the series.
All five runs were unearned while a four-run first frame was highlighted by two-run hits courtesy of Josh Jones (Charlotte Court House, Va.) and Dylan Benton (Snow Hill, N.C.) for Mount Olive.
Barton fell despite a two-run home run and four runs batted in from senior outfielder
Colby Warren (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.). Warren leads the team in hitting (.400) this season.
Mount Olive's Blake Gipson (Pikeville, N.C.) improved to 5-0 on the season after earning the win for the visitors while Justin Koehler (Trinity, Fla.) registered his third save of the year. Koehler got the final out in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners at second and third. Barton junior
Brett Widerman (Wilmington, N.C.) fell to 2-3 after suffering the loss.
Barton remains at home to take on No. 6 North Greenville in a league game on Friday at 5:00 p.m., at Fleming Stadium while Mount Olive hosts top-ranked Wingate on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.
