WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (31-9, 14-9) took both games of a key Conference Carolinas doubleheader over rival Mount Olive (29-10, 17-5), 14-9 and 11-6, Saturday afternoon at Nixon Field. The Trojans are ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II and had their 15-game winning streak snapped in the process.
Game One – Barton 14, Mount Olive 9
Barton graduate student first baseman
Mason Staz (Olin, N.C.) went four-for-four with three runs batted in to lead the Bulldogs, who scored 10 straight runs after sporting the Trojans a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Landon Choboy (Raleigh, N.C.) hit a two-run home run for the Trojans but Mount Olive's Ethan Imbimbo (Brentwood, N.H.) (6-1) suffered his first loss of the year. Barton senior
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wis.) improved to 8-2 on the year after earning the victory for the Bulldogs as he struck out six batters over seven innings of work.
Game Two – Barton 11, Mount Olive 6
Halvorson hit a two-run home run and finished with three runs batted in while senior outfielder
Raymond Paniagua (Blue Springs, Mo.) added a solo round-tripper as the Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-1 advantage after five innings of work and held off a late Trojans rally for the win.
Mount Olive's Case Kermode (Roswell, N.M.) hit a bases-clearing double as part of a five-run sixth inning but the Bulldogs responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take control again.
On the mound, Barton senior
Connor Patterson (Randleman, N.C.) improved to 5-1 after pitching into the sixth inning while Mount Olive's Erik Johnson (Rush, N.Y.) (5-2) was tagged with the loss.
Barton and Mount Olive wrap up the weekend league series with a single game at 1:00 p.m., on Sunday afternoon at Nixon Field.
