MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive baseball team delivered a statement performance Friday, erupting for 20 runs in a commanding 20–5 victory over Erskine in one of its most complete outings of the season.
Mount Olive wasted little time setting the tone, striking first in the opening inning when Rowan Watt ripped an RBI double down the right field line to score Lane McLean. Although Erskine answered in the bottom half, the Trojans surged ahead for good in the third inning behind a five-hit rally.
Ryder Hancock sparked the inning with a go-ahead RBI single before Malachi Gales broke things open with a bases-clearing double to right-center, giving Mount Olive a 5–1 advantage. The Trojans continued to build momentum in the middle innings, highlighted by a solo home run from McLean that stretched the lead to 7–3.
Holding that edge into the seventh, Mount Olive unleashed its most explosive inning of the season. The Trojans sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs on eight hits, combining patience at the plate with timely hitting. McLean jumpstarted the rally with an RBI double, followed by run-scoring hits from Kayden Crawford, Josh Mason, and Watt.
Jakhari Howard added a two-RBI single, while Mac James delivered a clutch two-run hit in his second at-bat of the inning. The Trojans also capitalized on a bases-loaded walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a defensive miscue to extend the lead to 18–3.
Mount Olive tacked on two more runs in the eighth to reach the 20-run mark and cap off the dominant offensive showing.
On the mound, Carson Gipson (3-3) earned the win with a steady six-inning performance. The right-hander allowed just one earned run while scattering seven hits and keeping Erskine’s offense in check throughout his outing.
With the win, the Trojans take control of the series and will return to action Saturday for games two and three against Erskine, scheduled for 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
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