COLLEGE BASEBALL: Belmont Abbey takes series from No. 1-ranked UMO

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 3, 2017 9:19 AM

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From staff reports

BELMONT -- No. 1 has fallen.

Not once.

But twice.

Belmont Abbey stunned No. 1-ranked University of Mount Olive by winning two of out three games during their Conference Carolinas baseball series. The Crusaders triumphed 3-2 Friday evening. They handed the Trojans a 11-6 loss in game three early Saturday evening.

UMO prevailed 2-1 in the middle after the defense turning a ninth-inning double play to deny its in-state rival the series sweep. The Trojans (30-7 overall) return to action today -- an exhibition game against the Down East Wood Ducks at historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston. First pitch is 7 p.m. Admission is $5.

It's the first time UMO has played an exhibition game against a professional minor league team in at least a decade.

• Game 2 -- Down 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh, Alvin Swoope was hit by a pitch. Swoope advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Drew Ellis' two-run home run to center field. Ellis ended up 2-for-2 with two RBI and a walk. Ricky Surum picked up the Trojans' other hit. Hutchison (9-0) threw a complete-game five-hitter, striking out seven and walking an uncharacteristic five Crusaders. The UMO defense turned two double plays, including the game-ender after Belmont Abbey had connected on back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the seventh inning.

• Game 1 -- Surum provided game-tying RBI hits in the third and fifth innings.

The Trojans left runners stranded in scoring position in each of the seventh and eighth innings.

Belmont Abbey answered with a two-run eighth, and UMO couldn't respond the top of the ninth.

Bruce Zimmerman (6-1) worked 71⁄3 innings, allowed five hits and retired 10 Crusaders on strikeouts. The loss snapped the Trojans' 14-game win streak and more than likely bumped them from the No. 1 ranking by Collegiate Baseball and the No. 1 Southeast Regional spot by NCBWA.

• Game 3 -- Ellis, Zach Mozingo and David Mayo each plated runs as UMO seized a 4-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. The Crusaders scored the next five runs over a two-inning stretch and never trailed from that point.

Belmont Abbey plated two runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Grant Tyndall paced the Trojans' offense with three hits and an RBI. Mozingo batted 2-for-4, while Ellis contributed two hits and two RBI in five official at-bats. UMO collected a series-high 11 hits.

Brighton Hudson started and departed after two innings on the bump. He gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits. Ethan Horne, Braxton Shetley, German Reyes, Jesse Schullstrom and Zach Vennaro made appearances out of the bullpen. The quintet combined to surrender six runs on four hits and seven walks.