Offensive Surge in Final Three Innings Helps Lead North Greenville Past Mount Olive
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WILSON, N.C. – A combined 14 runs over the final three innings helped lead top-seeded North Greenville into the championship game of the 2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament with a 17-1 victory over fourth-seeded Mount Olive at Historic Fleming Stadium.
North Greenville moves on to the championship game of the 2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament at 5 p.m. on Sunday, while Mount Olive with its first loss of the tournament will now take on second-seeded UNC Pembroke at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The winner of UNC Pembroke-Mount Olive will have to beat North Greenville twice to win the 2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship. The if-necessary game is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Monday.
North Greenville scored the first three runs of the game in the top of the third inning. Ethan Stringer got the inning going for North Greenville with an infield single. He then stole second to get in scoring position. With two outs on the board, the inaugural run of the game came with Stringer finding his way home on a wild pitch. Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Marek Chlup followed the run scored by Stringer by doubling to left field. A couple of batters later he was brought home along with Josh Senter by a double to right field by Zach Zarra.
Mount Olive scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jack Casbarro singled in Cooper George.
The Crusaders were able to manufacture four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Cory Bivins arrived on base via a walk and then scored on an error for the first run of the inning. Ethan Stringer set the score at 5-1 in favor of the Crusaders when he singled in Gehrig Octavio. The sixth run for North Greenville would come on a bases loaded walk. Pat Monteith collected the 7-1 lead for North Greenville when he scored on a wild pitch.
North Greenville would keep scoring in the top of the eighth with five more runs. Small ball continued to help lead the way with walks, singles, wild pitches and hits by pitches leading to the first run of the inning. A sacrifice fly by Chlup then led to the second run before a single by Senter sent home Stringer for the third run of the inning. Zarra singled in two more runs shortly thereafter to give the Crusaders a 12-1 lead over Mount Olive. The Crusaders had nine batters in the inning, scoring the five runs on just three hits.
The Crusaders would post five more runs in the top of the ninth to set the final score at 17-1.
North Greenville finished with an 11-4 advantage in hits in its win with three collecting multiple hits for the Crusaders. Stringer was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Bivins had two hits with two runs scored, while Zarra had five RBIs to go along with his two hits. No Mount Olive player collected multiple hits with Casbarro, Joshua Jones, Dylan Benton and David Cucci garnering a single hit each.
Noah Takac was phenomenal on the hill in the win for North Greenville. Takac threw 108 pitches in 6.2 innings. He struck out nine and allowed just three hits and one run. Mount Olive utilized the services of six pitchers in the game with starter Dawson Gause suffering the loss. Gause pitched the first three innings, striking out five while allowing three hits and three runs.
2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship
Historic Fleming Stadium | Wilson, N.C.
Play-in Round – Wednesday, May 4
Game 1: #6 King def. #7 Francis Marion, 9-4 (
Box Score)
Game 2: #8 Barton def. #5 Erskine, 21-2 (
Box Score)
First Round - Thursday, May 5
Game 3: #4 Mount Olive def. #3 Belmont Abbey, 6-5 (
Box Score)
Game 4: #8 Barton def. #2 UNC Pembroke, 6-5 (
Box Score)
Game 5: #1 North Greenville def. #6 King, 8-3 (
Box Score)
Second Round - Friday, May 6
Game 6: #2 UNC Pembroke def. #6 King, 11-7 (
Box Score)
Game 7: #1 North Greenville def. #3 Belmont Abbey, 12-9 (
Box Score)
Saturday, May 7
Game 8: #4 Mount Olive def. #8 Barton, 12-10 (
Box Score)
Game 9: #2 UNC Pembroke def. #8 Barton, 14-5 (
Box Score)
Game 10: #1 North Greenville def. #4 Mount Olive, 17-1 (
Box Score)
Sunday, May 8
Game 11: #2 UNC Pembroke vs. #4 Mount Olive, 1 p.m. (Semifinal; Elimination Game)
Game 12: #1 North Greenville vs. Winner Game 11, 5 p.m. (Championship)
Monday, May 9
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 12 p.m. (If Necessary)