BANNER ELK, N.C. - Mount Olive's Aubrey Reinhard was 4-for-7
with three RBI and four runs scored as the Trojans took two close
games, 6-5 and 7-5, from the Lees-McRae College Lady Bobcats Sunday
afternoon in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader.
With the losses, the Lady Bobcats are eliminated from playoff
contention and end their season at 12, 32 overall and 5-13 in the
conference, while Mount Olive improves to 22-26 overall and 11-8 in
the conference.
In game one, Mount Olive got on the scoreboard with three runs
in the first inning. After Reinhard and Kelly Minshew drew
two-out walks, Robbin Kennedy smashed a three-run bomb to give the
Trojans the 3-0 lead.
Mount Olive would add two more runs in the third inning when
Reinhard homered to left that scored Kayla Voorhees, who reached on
a single to center, to give Mount Olive a 5- 0 lead, but Lees-McRae
would answer in the bottom half of the inning with three runs.
Ashley Benfield started the inning, but was forced out at second
when Kim Coley reached on a fielder's choice. Paige Coleman
followed with a two-run homer to left field. Two batters later,
Nicole Baxter blasted a solo shot to left center to cut the Mount
Olive lead to 5-3.
After holding the Trojans in the top fourth, Lees-McRae tied the
game at five with two runs on one Mount Olive error and no
hits.
Mount Olive would score the game winner in the top of the fifth
on a Reinhard RBI single to left.
Sasha Synder picked up the win in three and a third innings of
work. Kristin Ware earned the save for the Trojans, while Katie
Alexander was saddle with the loss. Alexander gave up one run in
four innings of work.
For Lees-McRae, Ashley Benfield was 2-for-4, and Coleman had two
RBI.
Rienhard was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Kayla
Voorhees had two hits in three trips to the plate, while Kennedy
added three RBI.
In game two, the two teams combined for 23 hits, 12 runs and
four errors.
Mount Olive took the early two-run lead on a two RBI single by
Kennedy.
Lees-McRae notched a run in the bottom when Coley tripled and
scored on a two-out single by Coleman.
The Lady Bobcats took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the second and
one in the third. Jessica Travers had an RBI double and scored on
a Mount Olive error in the second, and in the third Baxter
homered.
Mount Olive added a solo run in the top of the fourth inning
when Allison Czerski singled and later scored on a successful
double steal with teammate Olivia Poplin, but Lees-McRae responded
with a solo shot to left center to make it 5-3 Lees-McRae.
In the fifth, Mount Olive tied the game with two runs. Minshew
started the inning off with a solo homerun to left, and Ericka
Taylor had an RBI single.
Mount Olive held Lees-McRae scoreless in the home half of the
fifth and neither team could push across a run in the sixth, but
the Trojans would pull two runs in the seventh to earn the win.
Mount Olive strung together two runs on three hits and two
Lees-McRae errors. Taylor had the game-winning RBI single in the
inning.
Alexander was saddled with the loss for the Bobcats going the
distance, while Synder picked up her second win of the day in four
innings of work and not allowing a run.
Offensively, Coley was 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Travers
was 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored for the Lady
Bobcats.
Minshew, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and
Taylor, who was 3-for-4 with four RBI, led Trojans at the
plate.
