BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University baseball team dropped a pair of contests to 18th-ranked University on Saturday afternoon. The Tornado ran into a pair of solid pitching performances, falling 6-2 and 5-0.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: #18 Mount Olive 6, King 2; #18 Mount Olive 5, King 0
LOCATION: King Baseball Field; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 7-17, 2-8 Conference Carolinas; Mount Olive 18-8, 8-3 Conference Carolinas
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Truman Roper led King with four hits on the day, two in each game.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- The contest was a pitcher's duel through five innings as the team combined for three hits, two from Mount Olive.
- However, the Trojans broke through in the sixth inning with five unearned runs.
- The big blow game on a David Cucci three-run triple as the Trojans took a 5-0 lead.
- King responded in the bottom of the inning as Roper drove in Patrick Corley who walked earlier in the inning.
- The Tornado pulled within 5-2 as Chad Evans drove in Conner Hyatt with a single later in the inning.
- A Case Kermode home run started the sixth inning, extending the Mount Olive lead to 6-2.
- King couldn't get the offense going again in the final three innings as Mount Olive took the contest 6-2.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Ethan Imbimbo (4-0) 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Losing Pitcher: Ray Berry (2-4) 5.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
Save: Greyson Linderman (1) 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Mount Olive got off to a hot start a Cucci ripped a three-run triple with two outs in the first inning.
- Hyatt and Roper started the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles, but the Trojans later turned a double play and got a strikeout to end the inning with Hyatt on third.
- The Trojans extended their lead to 5-0 on a two-run Mike Kenney double in the seventh inning.
- That was all starting pitcher Erik Johnson need as he retired the Tornado in order in the seventh, giving Mount Olive the 5-0 win.
OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: Erik Johnson (3-1) 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Losing Pitcher: Royal Philo (1-3) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
FOR THE FOES
- Cucci posted three hits on the day and drove in six to lead Mount Olive.
UP NEXT
- King remains at home to take on Bluefield State University on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
- Mount Olive hosts Catawba College on Tuesday evening.
