Mount Olive Plates Two in 11th Inning to Advance to Championship Game of Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament
WILSON, N.C. – Fourth-seeded Mount Olive scored twice in the top of the 11
th to pick up an extra-inning win over second-seeded UNC Pembroke and advance to the championship game of the 2022 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship against top-seeded North Greenville.
North Greenville enters the matchup undefeated in the tournament, meaning Mount Olive will have to best the Crusaders twice to win the title.
Both teams were able to plate a single run in the second inning. Mount Olive scored the first run of the game when Gordon Pihl crossed the dish. Pihl had singled to right field to start the inning and then was moved to third on an Aaron Hedgepeth single. Mount Olive grounded into a double play, but Pihl was able to score. UNC Pembroke matched the Mount Olive run with one of its own in the bottom half of the inning when Ramsey Petty singled in Gage Hammonds.
The score would remain 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth when UNC Pembroke took its first lead of the game at 2-1. Christian Jayne opened the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch. A Bobby Dixon sacrifice fly to center field brought in Jayne from third.
Mount Olive would score two runs in its next at-bat to own a 3-2 lead. Joshua Jones doubled in both runs with Pihl and Alden Cottle scoring. The one-run lead would not last long for the Trojans with the Braves evening things up at 3-3 with a single run in the bottom half of the sixth. Jayne singled to right-center field to score Ramsey Petty.
The game-winning two runs in the top of the 11
th for Mount Olive came on two bases loaded walks. The lone hit in the inning for Mount Olive by Cooper George allowed the Trojans to load the bases. Dylan Benton was walked with the bases loaded to give the Trojans a 4-3 lead. Jack Casbarro was shortly thereafter walked as well to score Joshua Jones.
The pitchers were the story in a game that featured each team having just seven hits each. Mount Olive starter Trey Deutsch dealt the first 5.2 innings, striking out two while allowing just three hits and three runs. The final three pitchers for Mount Olive allowed just a combined four hits. Justin Koehler earned the win for Mount Olive by pitching the final 2.2 innings. He struck out three, allowed only one hit and did not allow a run.
Both pitchers were strong for UNC Pembroke with Trent Harris dealing the first 5.1 innings for the Braves. He struck out six, allowed four hits and allowed two earned runs. Landen Smith took the loss for UNC Pembroke, but he was solid in his 5.2 innings pitched. Smith struck out 10 while also walking three and striking out three. He gave up the two game-winning runs.
Vito Patierno and Pihl led Mount Olive with two hits each. Pihl scored twice. Jayne and Petty both had two hits for UNC Pembroke. Both also scored a run in the narrow loss to the Trojans.
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: #4 Mount Olive def. #2 UNC Pembroke, 5-3 (
Box Score)
Game 12: #1 North Greenville vs. #4 Mount Olive, 6:10 p.m. (Championship)
Monday, May 9
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 12 p.m. (If Necessary)