Gastonia, N.C. – on May 1, The University of Mount Olive baseball team saw its postseason hopes take a tough hit Thursday night, surrendering a six-run lead late to fall 11-10 in extra innings to No. 2-seeded Young Harris in the opening round of the Conference Carolinas Championship at CaroMont Health Park.
Despite a dominant offensive showing, the No. 7-seeded Trojans (30-20) were unable to hold off the surging Mountain Lions (38-13), who staged a dramatic comeback capped by a walk-off single in the 10th inning.
Mount Olive exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a commanding 10-4 lead. The offensive burst was highlighted by a two-run double from junior Jon Howard and a three-run homer by his brother, junior Jakhari Howard — his second home run of the game.
However, Young Harris responded with a relentless rally. The Mountain Lions plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh before tying the game 10-10 with a grand slam in the eighth. The momentum carried into extra innings, where an RBI single up the middle sealed the walk-off win.
The Trojans had been in control for much of the game. After falling behind 1-0, they jumped ahead in the fourth inning with an RBI single from redshirt senior Mike Kenney followed by Jakhari Howard’s first home run. The back-and-forth contest saw both teams trading runs until Mount Olive’s big inning in the seventh — only to watch it slip away.
At the plate, Mount Olive was led by standout performances from:
- Jon Howard, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
- Mike Kenney, also 3-for-4, drove in one run and scored twice.
- Tariq Talley, who collected three hits and stole two bases.
- Jakhari Howard, who delivered a 2-for-5 performance with two homers, five RBIs, and two runs.
On the mound, junior Lucas Glover took a no-decision after tossing five innings with three earned runs, six strikeouts, and five walks. Fifth-year reliever Trey Deutsch (2-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs over two innings of relief.
The Trojans will now face an elimination game on Friday, May 2, against the loser of Belmont Abbey and Barton. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Sims Legion Park.
