MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive baseball program secured the series sweep over Emmanuel following a doubleheader sweep on Saturday at Scarborough Field in Conference Carolinas action, highlighted by a walk-off solo homer by redshirt junior Garrett Moffett for an 8-7 win in Game 2.
With the win, the Trojans claim a third-straight Conference Carolinas series to improve to 13-5 overall with a 7-2 record in conference play.
Mount Olive swept the season series over Emmanuel for a consecutive year and moved to the top of the league standings.
Meanwhile, the Lions dropped to 8-11 this season behind a 2-7 mark in league action.
In Game 2, the contest remained scoreless for four innings before redshirt sophomore Jon Howard launched a three-run homer down the left-field line, his team-leading sixth of the year, to help Mount Olive build a 3-0 advantage.
In the following frame, the Trojans tallied an additional run off a solo homer from senior Wade Kelly to left field, 4-0.
Emmanuel rallied to take the lead 6-4, in the top of the seventh after scoring six runs on four hits, highlighted by a bases-clearing double down the left-field line.
Mount Olive answered in the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit RBI triple to center field by Moffett before Kelly eventually produced a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game, 6-6.
The Lions quickly regained their edge in the top of the ninth following a leadoff triple and an RBI single up to middle to lead by a 7-6 margin.
In the bottom half of the inning, redshirt senior Mike Kenney belted the ninth pitch of the at-bat over the wall in left field for a solo homer to send the contest to extra innings, 7-7.
After retiring the side in order in the top of the 10th, Moffett delivered a walk-off solo homer down the left-field line to complete the series sweep, 8-7.
Kenney finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer, one walk, and one run scored. Juniors Lane McLean and Kayden Crawford each went 2-for-4 with one run scored, while Moffett recorded two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored.
Junior Lucas Glover took a no-decision after yielding three earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over 6.0 innings pitched (89 pitches).
Graduate student Hayden Myrick in his second appearance of the day tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with a strikeout. Senior Matt Poole earned the win (1-0) after closing out the final 2.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
In Game 1, the Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning after tallying five hits and capitalizing on two errors.
After a leadoff double by junior Jakhari Howard to begin the frame, junior Tariq Talley laced an RBI single up the middle before Moffett hammered an RBI double to center field.
Moffett later scored on a throwing error before McLean produced an RBI ground out.
Following a scoreless third inning, McLean recorded another RBI on a double to left field in the bottom of the fourth to lead 5-0.
Emmanuel responded with a solo homer to the fifth before UMO regained its five-run advantage after scoring on a fielding error, 6-1.
The Lions tallied a run in the sixth and seventh frames to trim the deficit to 6-3, but the Trojans ultimately captured the win.
Junior Carson Gipson earned the win (2-2) after surrendering two earned runs on four hits with a career-high seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched (88 pitches).
Myrick secured the save (3) after entering the game for the final out of the game.
Mount Olive returns to Scarborough Field at 3 p.m. on Tuesday to face Dominican (NY) in a non-conference game at 3 p.m.
