UMO baseball, softball each claim non-conference twinbill sweep

By UMO Media Relations
Published in Sports on April 16, 2015 1:48 PM

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UMO Media Relations

MOUNT OLIVE -- Justin Manning delivered a game-winning walk-off hit and Hunter Barnett earned his first mound decision of the season as No. 12-ranked University of Mount Olive swept in-state region foe Wingate University on a rainy Wednesday afternoon at Scarborough Field.

Manning's seventh-inning single got past a diving Wingate outfielder and lifted the Trojans to a come-from-behind, 9-8 victory. Eastern Wayne alum Hunter Barnett earned the mound decision in a rain-shortened, 8-6 triumph in the nightcap.

The Bulldogs built a 6-1 lead through 31/2 innings in the opener.

Mount Olive pulled to within 6-5 in the bottom half of the fourth. Chris Leduc smashed a three-run homer. Andre Allen followed with a triple to right-center field and scored on Zak Orrison's sacrifice fly to right.

Down 8-5, the Trojans tied the game in the fifth. Kilgore Gailmard connected on a two-out, two-RBI single and Jason Morozowski plated Allen with an RBI single up the middle.

In the decisive seventh, Allen singled and Morozowski legged out a two-out bunt. Manning lifted on a one-strike pitch to right field and Allen raced from second to cap the comeback.

Dario Santangelo (1-0) emerged as the winning pitcher. He struck out Wingate in order in the sixth and ended the seventh with a strikeout.

The Trojans led 8-3 after two innings in the nightcap.

Joe Koehler's ground-rule RBI double and Rob Shipman's helped contribute to the early advantage. Orrison scored on a passed ball and drew a bases-loaded RBI walk.

Shipman and Leduc each homered in the second inning.

Barnett (1-1) permitted four runs (all earned) on eight hits and retired three Wingate batters on strikeouts. Tyler Chappell tossed 11/3 innings of three-hit relief.

Mount Olive (34-10 overall) returns to action Friday at in-state opponent Belmont Abbey in the final Conference Carolinas series for both teams. The Trojans hold a 21/2-game lead over Erskine in the league standings.

Softball

MURFREESBORO -- Lauren Smith tossed a three-hit shutout and Taylor Carter matched a 19-year-old, single-season school record for stolen bases during the University of Mount Olive's non-conference sweep of Chowan University on Wednesday afternoon.

The Trojans claimed the opener 8-4 behind Madison Johnston, who posted a season-high seven strikeouts in six innings of work inside the circle. Johnston (14-3) has won her last 11 decisions. Kelsey Akers paced a 13-hit attack with her second four-hit outing in her last three games.

Carter collected her 27th stolen base to tie the school record in game two, which the Trojans won 9-0. UMO stole four bases in the game and six overall in the doubleheader, which boosted its season total to 120.

Lauren Smith (7-6) permitted three singles, struck out three and walked one. She has won each of her last four decisions.

Weather and playing conditions pending, Mount Olive (26-16 overall) returns home today for a doubleheader against in-state member St. Augustine's. First pitch is 2 p.m.