MOUNT OLIVE, N.C.—The Limestone College baseball team dropped two conference contests at No. 15-ranked Mount Olive on Friday afternoon at Scarborough Field. The Saints lost 5-2 in the first contest, but gave the Trojans a run for their money in game 2 as Mount Olive edged Limestone 7-6. Mount Olive (26-10 overall/17-3 CVAC) clinched the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Regular Season Title with today’s victories.

Ryan Maxa (Sarasota, Fla.) pitched the entire first game for the Saints as he struck out four batters. Tom Layne got his sixth win of the season after he posted nine strikeouts in nine innings.

The Saints (19-27/6-13 CVAC) scored in the first inning as second baseman Daniel Lydon (White Plains, Md.) singled to right field to score centerfielder Zach Watkins (Albany, Ga.). The Trojans took the lead with two runs in the second, and added a run in the third, fifth, and eighth.  In the ninth, Limestone’s designated hitter Adam McSwain (Fallston, N.C.) singled as shortstop Dylan Anthony (Lincolnton, N.C.) scored the Saints’ final run of the contest.

The Saints got off to a strong start in game 2. In the third inning, Watkins tripled as leftfielder Justin Moore (Mount Holly, N.C.) scored. McSwain recorded another RBI as Watkins scored. First baseman Phillip Soden (Inman, S.C.) helped the Saints to a 3-0 lead as he doubled to score second baseman Matt Craig (Lincolnton, N.C.) before the inning was over.

Limestone built a 5-0 advantage in the fourth. Watkins singled with runners on third and first, and advanced to second after an error by Mount Olive’s left fielder. Outfielder James Edwards (Gaffney, S.C.) scored on the play and catcher Kyle Brewer (Gruetin-Laager, Tenn.) also reached home on the error. 

Mount Olive cut the Saints lead to one as the Trojans scored three times in the fourth inning and once in the fifth.

Limestone built its lead in the sixth as Anthony scored from third on a wild pitch. Mount Olive rallied in the final inning to score three runs to edge the Saints 7-6.

Tyler Anderson (Kershaw, S.C.) started the game for Limestone, but Brian Baugher (Frederick, Md.) was tagged with the loss after pitching the final 1 1/3 innings. Ball got the win for the Trojans.

Limestone plays Mount Olive in the final game of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.