Wins from Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, Young Harris highlight opening day of NCAA Regionals
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GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 2024 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship started the regional round on Thursday and Conference Carolinas went 3-2 on the first day. Mount Olive earned a walk-off win before wins from UNC Pembroke and Young Harris capped the day.
Third seed Mount Olive started the regional at North Greenville with a 7-6 walk-off win over sixth seed Wingate. Both teams scored runs in the fifth inning before Wingate took a 6-1 lead with one run in the sixth inning and four in the seventh inning.
However, the Trojans answered with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mount Olive posted three run-scoring singles, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly to even the score at six. In the ninth, the Mount Olive leadoff batter, Lane McLean reached on an error, stole second and was sacrificed to third before a walk. Dylan Jeffries then singled to left field, scoring McLean and giving the Trojans the 7-6 win.
In the other regional hosted by Catawba, fourth seed UNC Pembroke won an all-Conference Carolinas contest over fifth seed Young Harris 8-7. The Mountain Lions took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, scoring two runs on a Steve Spell single. Joey Rezek and Kody O’Connor hit back-to-back home runs in the third to pull the Braves within 3-2.
UNC Pembroke took a 4-3 lead with two runs in the fourth, the second scoring on a Rezek double. Following a Young Harris run in the fifth the evened the score at four, UNC Pembroke plated four runs in the sixth. Rezek drove in another with a double before another O’Connor home run gave UNC Pembroke an 8-4 lead. Young Harris rallied with three runs in the ninth following a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch. However, the Braves then got a strikeout to end the game and take the contest 8-7.
Second seed North Greenville fell to seventh seed Georgia College and State University in their opener, 9-5. The Crusaders grabbed a 2-0 lead following run-scoring singles from Kaleb Hall and Bryce Roddey in the first inning. However, Georgia College responded with three runs in the second, two on a home run in the third and another on a home run in the fourth to take a 9-2 lead. North Greenville came back in the ninth with a three-run home run from David Lewis, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia College took the contest 9-5.
Young Harris rebounded against top seed and host Catawba on Thursday night. The Mountain Lions started with three runs on a Kade Smallwood double in the first inning. Catawba answered with one run in the bottom of the inning, but Young Harris held a 3-1 lead. Smallwood hit a home run in the fourth to extend the Young Harris lead, but Catawba home run in the bottom of the inning pulled the Indians within 4-3. A Jeremy Begora run-scoring single in the seventh stretched the Young Harris lead to 5-3. Dylan Beck then came in and got the final six outs to give the Mountain Lions the 5-3 win.
North Greenville will take on Wingate in an elimination game on Friday at 2:00 p.m. with Mount Olive facing Georgia College at 6:00 p.m. UNC Pembroke will take on Catawba at 6:00 p.m. on Friday while Young Harris will return to the field on Saturday.