Trojans rally in 9th for 2-1 win over Flying Fleet

FLORENCE, SC – Junior shortstop Ryan Faison singled up the middle with two outs to score pinch runner Kyle Hinrichs with the winning run as eighth-ranked and fourth-seeded Mount Olive College rallied for a 2-1 victory over 17th-ranked and sixth-seeded Erskine College, Friday afternoon (May 14) at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.

The result leaves both teams with one loss in the double-elimination tournament.  Mount Olive (41-10) will face Francis Marion University on Saturday at 3 p.m. in an elimination game, while Erskine (41-16) will play at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Columbus State University, also in an elimination game.

Faison and third baseman Topher Ellis were both 2-for-4 to lead the Trojans. First baseman John Bolding led the Flying Fleet at the plate with a 3-for-4 afternoon that included the team’s lone RBI.

Erskine lead-off man Greg Huff singled in the top of the first, stole second, and scored on Bolding’s single to left center to stake the Flying Fleet to a 1-0 lead.  Erskine right-hander Derek Smith and relievers Kit Carter and Atlee Pearson (2-4) made that tally stand…until the bottom of the ninth.

Joseph Westbrook and Airlon Vinson both singled with one out in Mount olive’s final at bat.  Ellis then hit a grounder to Bolding at first base, who threw to second in an attempt to nab the runner.  However, his throw hit Hinrichs in the back for an error allowing Westbrook to score the tying run.  A groundout moved Hinrichs and Ellis up to third and second with two outs.

Faison then roped a 1-1 pitch back into center field to plate the winning run.

Mount Olive sophomore righty Carter Capps went the distance to remain unbeaten at 10-0.  He allowed only five singles and fanned four while issuing no walks.  He needed only 77 pitches.

Pearson, the Erskine closer, got the loss although both ninth-inning runs were unearned.

The win is the 800th for Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster. “’Old Gold’ comes through again,” said Lancaster, referring to the Trojans’ throwback gold jerseys worn Friday. Mount Olive wore gold jerseys during the 2008 NCAA post-season on its way to its first-ever national championship.  Lancaster is in his 24th year as a college head coach, all at Mount Olive.

“We needed a base runner and I was just looking for a pitch to hit,” said Westbrook of his ninth-inning hit. “It was a seeing-eye hit, which have been most of my hits lately.”

“The fastball was working today,” said Capps, a sophomore from Kinston, N.C. “Scoring runs hasn’t been a problem for us this year and I knew the offense would eventually come through.”

“This was a great win for the team,” said Lancaster. “Capps pitched an outstanding game and those were tremendous at-bats for Westbrook and Faison. I have to tip my hat to (Erskine starting pitcher) Smith. He pitched a great game and we just couldn’t hit him.”