Three Teams Advance to Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship Sunday
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GASTONIA, N.C. – Francis Marion, Mount Olive and UNC Pembroke remain alive in the 2023 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship after the fourth day of competition at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia, North Carolina on Saturday.
In game nine of the tournament, fourth-seeded Mount Olive scored 13 runs to defeat fifth-seeded Belmont Abbey, 13-2, to advance to Sunday’s final day. The Trojans began the game in a big way in the bottom of the first when Landon Choboy blasted a grand slam to center field for the early lead. A Joshua Jones two-run double highlighted a three-run third inning for UMO and Cooper George singled in two more in a four-run fourth for the Trojans to push the lead to 11. JT Stone and George each plated runs in the fifth before Connor Tucker delivered a two-run home run to right field for the Crusaders for the final margin.
A career day on the mound from Carson Gipson (5-0) propelled Mount Olive to the win as he scattered six hits in his first career complete game with two runs allowed, two walks and two strikeouts. Nic Aehlert (5-3) took the loss as he allowed four runs on five hits with one walk in 1.2 innings. UMO outhit BAC, 13-6, led by Choboy and Jack Casbarro who each tallied three hits. Both players scored three times while Choboy drove in four. Tucker paced the Crusaders offense with two hits, one run scored and two RBIs.
Game 10 in the tournament was filled with action as the teams combined for 23 runs on 29 hits and it was sixth-seeded Francis Marion who continued its cinderella run in the tournament with a 15-8 victory over second-seeded Barton. The Bulldogs' bats were hot early as they scored two runs in the first, two in the second on a Raymond Paniagua two-run home run and four in the third on a Salvatore Laimo grand slam. However, Barton’s bats went quiet and the Patriots scored two in the first, one in the second and two in the third to trail 8-5. A Tanner Wakefield two-run single in the sixth tied the game and Francis Marion captured their first lead of the game as Kollin Crepeau tripled to right field and scored on a bad throw to plate three runs for the 11-8 advantage. Charlie Bussey III added insurance in the eighth with a grand slam for the final margin.
Hardee, Bussey III and Isaac Shuck paced the 15-hit attack for the Patriots with three hits each. Bussey III and Crepeau each drove in four runs and scored twice while Wakefield plated three and scored three times. Barton collected 14 hits in the loss led by Jared Beebe who went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI. Ben Thornton (4-2) earned the win as he allowed one hit, one walk and struck out four over 3.2 innings of relief while Brett Anderson (2-5) took the loss.
Hardee and Robbie Jordan stole the show in Game 11 as Hardee was responsible for all four Francis Marion runs and Jordan allowed just two hits in a 4-2 victory over No. 3 seed UNC Pembroke. The win sends the sixth-seeded Patriots to the championship final on Sunday at 4 p.m. Hardee got the scoring started with an RBI single in the first and then drilled a solo home run to right in the third for the 2-0 lead. A pair of fielder’s choice RBIs from UNC Pembroke tied the game in the fourth before Hardee sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run shot that proved to be the game winner in the fifth.
Jordan (6-3) made his first career relief appearance and did not disappoint as he allowed two hits and struck out six over 5.2 innings to give the Patriots the win. Branden Kunz (5-3) took the loss for the Braves as he allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings. Hardee finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored to pace the nine-hit attack while five different Braves recorded a hit in the loss.
UNC Pembroke will face fourth-seeded Mount Olive in game 12 on Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m. with the winner moving on to face Francis Marion in a winner-take-all title game at 4 p.m.
Fans can watch every game of the tournament live via the Conference Carolinas Digital Network and BlueFrame at conferencecarolinasdn.com. Information regarding the championship schedule, bracket and CaroMont Health Park, home of the tournament host Gastonia Honey Hunters, are available
here.
2023 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship
CaroMont Health Park | Gastonia, N.C.
Play-in Round – Wednesday, May 3
Game 1: #5 Belmont Abbey def. #8 Emmanuel, 10-3 (Box Score)
Game 2: #6 Francis Marion vs. #7 Erskine, 3-1 (Box Score)
First Round - Thursday, May 4
Game 3: #3 UNC Pembroke def. #4 Mount Olive, 5-4 (10) (Box Score)
Game 4: #2 Barton def. #5 Belmont Abbey, 9-0 (Box Score)
Game 5: #6 Francis Marion def. #1 North Greenville, 15-5 (7) (Box Score)
Second Round - Friday, May 5
Game 6: #5 Belmont Abbey def. #1 North Greenville, 8-4 (Box Score)
Game 7: #4 Mount Olive def. #6 Francis Marion, 14-8 (Box Score)
Game 8: #3 UNC Pembroke def. #2 Barton, 3-0 (Box Score)
Saturday, May 6
Game 9: #4 Mount Olive def. #5 Belmont Abbey, 13-2 (Box Score)
Game 10: #6 Francis Marion def. #2 Barton, 15-8 (Box Score)
Game 11: #6 Francis Marion def. #3 UNC Pembroke, 4-2 (Box Score)
Sunday, May 7
Game 12: #4 Mount Olive vs. #3 UNC Pembroke, 1 p.m.
Game 13: #6 Francis Marion vs. Winner Game 12, 4 p.m.