DUE WEST, S.C. — The Mount Olive Trojans baseball battled to a split in a Sunday doubleheader against the Erskine Flying Fleet, rallying late to claim a 7-4 victory in Game 1 before falling 19-6 in the series finale.
Mount Olive showcased resilience in the opener, overcoming a four-run deficit with a dramatic seventh-inning surge. Erskine controlled the early pace, scoring two runs in both the second and fifth innings to take a 4-0 lead.
The Trojans began their comeback in the sixth inning when Connor Tepatti delivered a two-RBI single to cut the deficit in half. Momentum carried into the seventh, where Mount Olive erupted for five runs on six hits. Rowan Watt and Ryder Hancock helped tie the game before Malachi Gales gave the Trojans the lead with a sacrifice fly. Tepatti added a two-RBI double to cap the rally and secure the 7-4 advantage.
On the mound, Aidan Newton turned in a strong performance, tossing a complete game — his second of the season. He allowed four runs, three earned, over seven innings while striking out five, and held Erskine scoreless over the final two frames.
Game 2 saw Mount Olive jump out early once again, plating three runs in the second inning behind RBI walks from Dawson Ables and Lane McLean, along with an RBI single from Garrett Moffett.
However, Erskine responded quickly and never looked back. After trimming the lead to 3-2, the Flying Fleet tied the game in the third with a two-run home run. Mount Olive briefly regained the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Gales, but Erskine answered with a four-run inning to take control.
The game broke open in the fifth as Erskine scored six runs, highlighted by a three-run triple and multiple RBI doubles. The Flying Fleet continued to pile on in the sixth, adding four more runs to extend the lead to 19-4.
Despite the lopsided score, the Trojans continued to compete late. Gales drove in a run with a double in the seventh, and McLean added a solo home run in the eighth, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.
With the split, Mount Olive now turns its attention to its next matchup at home against Coker Cobras. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Tuesday.
