D2 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL: UMO upends Catawba, top seed Columbus State

By UMO Media Relations
Published in Sports on May 22, 2016 1:47 AM

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UMO Media Relations

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- University of Mount Olive refuses to go home.

Brighton Hudson threw a complete-game 13-hitter during a 7-2, elimination-round triumph over top-seeded Columbus State University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Saturday afternoon.

The seventh-seeded Trojans (33-20 overall) oppose either Belmont Abbey or Tusculum in consolation-bracket play today. First pitch is 3:30 p.m.

CSU ended the year 42-14 overall.

Hudson permitted two earned runs, walked two and struck out two during his 153-pitch outing. The Cougars scratched out a single run in each of the first and eighth innings.

Joe Koehler tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the second inning.

UMO seized control with a five-run, third-inning outburst.

Brandon Day reached on a dropped third-strike wild pitch and advanced to second on Zak Orrison's single. Jack Sherrill drove in Day with a double to left-center field, which put the Trojans ahead 2-1.

Brett Lang connected on a two-RBI single and Stephen Wallace capped the rally with a two-run home run.

The Trojans padded their lead to 7-1 in the third inning.

Mount Olive kept its postseason intact with a 6-4 victory over in-state nemesis Catawba late Friday evening.

Tied at 4-4 through 5 1/2 innings, the Trojans pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Orrison reached base with two outs after getting hit by a pitch. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third base.

Catawba attempted to pick off Sherrill, who drew a walk. Orrison took off for home and the throw was not in time. The Trojans led 5-4.

"I've seen Bryce Harper do it and it just happened to work out with a lefty pitching and a lefty at first, and I had been noticing the sequence of signs the catcher was giving from the dugout and just extended my lead further each time," Orrison said.

"As soon as I saw him throw over to first, I just took off."

Lang drove in Sherrill with a double to right field.

The Indians, the national runners-up in 2015, had runners reach third base in each of the seventh and eighth innings. UMO's Austin Hutchison denied any comeback attempt and earned the complete-game victory that included 12 strikeouts.

"I like the way Hutch comes out there and it says a lot about a kid when he gets hit in the ankle after 130 pitches and wants to stay out there," Lang said.

The Trojans overcame five defensive errors.