MOUNT OLIVE – In the rubber match of a three-game series, the University of Mount Olive offense tallied double-digit runs for the third time this season in an 11-4 victory over Kutztown in non-conference play at Scarborough Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Trojans clinched their first series victory of the season and improved to 5-2 overall. The Trojans will prepare to play the next five games on the road, including opening conference play at Emmanuel on Feb. 23-24. Meanwhile, Kutztown drops to 1-2 this season after starting its season in Pickle Town.
In the bottom of the first, redshirt junior Mike Kenney and senior Alden Cottle registered back-to-back singles before both runners advanced in scoring position. The next at-bat, graduate student Landon Choboy produced a two-run double into right field to take a 2-0 lead. Following a pair of scoreless frames, the Golden Bears tallied two runs in the top of the fourth with three consecutive singles, 2-2.
Mount Olive regained its lead in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI single to center field from Cottle, 3-2. The next inning, graduate student Gordon Pihl launched a solo homer to left field, his first of the season, to stretch the advantage to 4-2. Trojans continue to add to their lead in the bottom of the seventh with four runs on two hits. After loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks, fifth-year David Cucci tallied an RBI on a fielder’s choice before Pihl laced a two-run single up the middle, 7-5. Later in the frame, senior Dylan Jeffries registered an RBI single to left field with two outs to take an 8-2 lead.
Kutztown rallied back with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-4. Mount Olive answered back in the bottom half with a two-run triple by Cottle before Choboy recorded another RBI on a groundout, 11-4.
Cottle finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, one walk, and three runs scored, while Pihl went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and one run scored. Kenney registered a pair of hits with four runs scored and Jeffries totaled two hits, one RBI, one walk, and a stolen base.
On the mound, sophomore Carson Gipson earned the win (1-0) after yielding just two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 6.0 innings. He retired the side in order three times while forcing 11 flyouts. Junior Aiken Minton tossed 1.1 innings of relief while the redshirt freshman Carter Gipson finished the contest with two strikeouts over 1.2 innings of work.
The Trojans will return to non-conference play on Tuesday when they travel to face Catawba at 3 p.m.
