GREENWOOD----The Mount Olive College softball team used two strong innings in the first game and the international tiebreaker in the second to earn a non-conference doubleheader sweep against Lander Friday evening at Doug Spears Field. The Trojans won the first game, 6-0, and the second, 7-4, in extra innings. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
In the first game, Mount Olive scored two runs in the fourth inning and four more in the seventh. In the second inning, Courtney Wallace belted a two-RBI double which scored Jenny Jackson and Allison Czerski. In the seventh, Erin Wilson and Kat Cahoon scored on a throwing error, Tiffanie Pittman scored on Bailey Harrell's sacrifice fly and Melissa Bright scored on another error.
Jackson (1-0) earned the victory, striking out five, walking one and allowing just three hits in six innings pitched. Lander's Ashlea Burdette (1-2) took the loss, striking out one, walking two and allowing two earned runs on eight hits in seven innings.
For Lander, Kyndall Freer went 1-for-2 with one double.
For Mount Olive, Wallace went 2-for-3 with one double and two RBI.
The second game went into the international tiebreaker in the eighth inning.
Wallace, who started the inning automatically placed on second base, advanced to third on Cahoon's sacrifice bunt, then Wilson and Pittman walked to load the bases. Wallace scored what would be the winning run on Bright's sacrifice fly then Harrell followed with a two-RBI double.
Mount Olive jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Jackson's two-run homer.
The Trojans stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third when Harrell scored from third on a bases loaded groundout.
Lander took a 4-3 lead in the third inning keyed by Daisy Stewart's two run homer. Smith started the inning when she singled to right field, advanced to second on Bishop's sacrifice bunt and to third on Wallace's single to right field. Smith scored on Ryals' double to right field to cut the margin to 3-1 Wallace scored from third on an error by the catcher to cut the margin to 3-2.
Mount Olive tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth when Wilson doubled in Wallace.
Krystal Bourne (1-0) earned the win as she struck out four, walked one and allowed just one hit in 5.2 innings pitched. Lander's Austin Murray (2-3) took the loss, striking out five, walking 11 and allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits in the complete eight innings.
