FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum College fell to University of Mount Olive in the first game of a three-game weekend series in Conference Carolinas play, losing 11-7 this afternoon at Panther Field.
RECORDS
Ferrum 17-26, 9-22 CC
Mount Olive 27-19, 18-12 CC
THE BASICS
Mount Olive struck early and never fully relinquished control, using a late surge to pull away from Ferrum despite a competitive game through the middle innings.
The visitors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning before Ferrum answered in the second.
Jachob Walters got the Panthers on the board with an RBI double, and
CJ Kemmerer followed with an RBI single to even the score at 2-2.
After Mount Olive edged back ahead in the fifth, Ferrum responded with a two-run frame of its own.
JJ Mulhern tripled and later scored, and
Garrett Pancione added a solo home run to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Mount Olive answered with a three-run sixth inning to regain control at 6-4. Ferrum pulled within one in the seventh on a solo home run from
Hunter Carlson, making it 6-5.
The decisive moment came in the eighth inning when Mount Olive erupted for five runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Rowan Watt, to extend the lead to 11-5.
Ferrum mounted a late push in the ninth inning, scoring twice on an error and an RBI double from
Colin Kim, but the rally fell short.
On the mound,
Campbell Short took the loss after allowing six runs over 5.1 innings.
Garrett Sawyer worked in relief, while
Brayden Smith handled the ninth inning. Mount Olive's Aiden Newton earned the win, tossing seven innings to improve to 7-2.
KEY STATS
Ferrum: Carlson 1-5, HR, RBI;
Colin Kim 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI; Mulhern 2-3, 3B, 2 R; Pancione 1-4, HR, RBI
Mount Olive: Watt 4-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI; McLemore 3-5, 2 2B, RBI; McLean 2-6, HR, 2 RBI
UP NEXT
Coach
Eric Owens' team will wrap up the series with Mount Olive Saturday morning with a doubleheader starting at 11:00 a.m. Prior to game one, the Panthers will honor eight graduating players with a Senior Day ceremony.
