Kines overcomes shaky start, Trojans dump Concord (W. Va.)

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on February 18, 2014 1:48 PM

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astevens@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- One hard-luck inning was not indicative of Gunner Kines' day on the mound for the University of Mount Olive.

The left-hander bounced back from a shaky first inning in an 8-4 win over Concord on Monday afternoon at Scarborough Field. The Trojans took two out of three games from the Mountain Lions in the series.

Kines (2-1) surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in seven innings of work. He allowed just two hits and no runs over his final six innings on the mound.

"He didn't give up any hard hit balls, it was just unfortunate," Trojans' head coach Carl Lancaster said. "I was shaking my head. He settled down and I thought he pitched a heck of a game."

Will Shipman led Mount Olive with three hits and an RBI. Will Martin, DeAndre Allen and Zak Orrison each had two hits.

Concord grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of sacrifice flies in the top of the first inning. T.J. Brockway supplied an RBI single that pushed the Mountain Lions' lead to 3-0. Kines faced eight batters in the inning and threw 24 pitches.

The Trojans (6-3 overall) answered with three runs of their own in the home half of the first. Shipman delivered an RBI single. Justin Manning added a two-run single.

Both starting pitchers settled in after the eventful first inning.

Kines and Concord right-hander Chris Kelly matched scoreless inning after scoreless inning until Kelly ran into trouble in the fifth inning.

UMO loaded the bases with one out and Kelly was lifted for reliever Zach Kelly. A bases-loaded walk and a hit batter put the Trojans in front 5-3. Cody Britt's fielder's choice pushed across two insurance runs.

"This team relies on speed and hitting the ball on the ground and hitting behind runners," Lancaster said. "We did it today. Maybe we can do it a few more times and they'll figure out this is the identity of this team."

Concord got a run back in the top of the eighth inning off Trojans' reliever Zach Bernard.

The Trojans continued to manufacture runs and Bradon Reitano's sac fly in the bottom of the eighth extended the lead to 8-4.

Mount Olive plays its fourth and fifth games in a three-day stretch today with a home doubleheader against Lenoir-Rhyne. Game one begins at 2 p.m.