BELMONT — The 25th-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team pounded out 13 hits, while Chase Jernigan picked up his eighth save of the season on the way to taking a 9-8 win in Game 2 of the series, before Michael Dolberry II turned in a 5-for-6, five-RBI game in the rubber match to lead the Black & Gold to a 14-8 victory and a series win over Belmont Abbey in Conference Carolinas doubleheader action Saturday afternoon.
Dolberry homered in both ends of the twinbill, as the Braves saw five balls leave the yard on the day.
UNCP (31-11, 14-10 CC) moved to 20-19 all-time against the Crusaders (21-18, 13-11 CC).
Blake Hinson led off the second inning of the doubleheader’s first game with a single and stole second, before Will Hood walked to set the table for Morgan Padgett’s three-run homer to give the Braves an early 3-0 lead.
Garrett Browder was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the third, and came around to score on Jake Andriole’s two-out, two-run home run to tie the score at 3-3.
Padgett led off the fourth with a single, Isaias Villarreal reached on a bunt single, and both moved up 90 feet on a ground out. Joey Rezek would reach on a two-out error, scoring Padgett and extending the inning. Kody O’Connor and Chase Hudson each followed with RBI singles to make it 6-3. Hood tacked on a two-RBI single up the middle to stretch the lead to 8-3.
Dolberry struck for a two-out fifth-inning blast to left field to make it 9-3.
Padgett had two hits and three RBIs for UNCP and Hood had two RBIs. Jonathon Jacobs (6-0) was the winning pitcher; Jernigan’s save came after he went two innings, allowing three hits and one run with three strikeouts.
Connor Powell had two RBIs for Belmont Abbey. Alex Sniffen (7-2) took the loss.
In the nightcap, the Braves wasted no time jumping out to a lead as Spencer Faulkner worked a leadoff walk, Dolberry singled, and Rezek deposited a no-doubter to right to stake the guests to a 3-0 lead.
Ashton Donathan laced a two-RBI single up the middle in the Braves’ fourth and would come around to score on Dolberry’s two-out RBI single to make it 6-1.
Aengus Adams scored two with a fourth-inning single for Belmont Abbey, Carter Bass added an RBI single, while Connor Powell drove in one before another came in via error to knot the score at 6-6.
UNCP answered right back in the fifth as Hudson led off with a double and eventually came around to score on Hood’s RBI ground out. Padgett and Donathan would each single to extend the inning, while Faulkner walked to load the bases. Dolberry stayed hot with a two-run single, while two balks would score both he and Faulkner to put the Braves up 10-6.
Dolberry led off the eighth inning with an opposite-field homer making it 12-7 Braves.
Donathan reached in the ninth on a one-out single and came around to score on a Faulkner double, while Dolberry finished off his stellar game with an RBI single to make it 14-8.
Dolberry finished with five RBIs and three steals in a five-hit game for UNCP. Rezek had two hits and three RBIs, Donathan had three hits and two RBIs and O’Connor had two hits and one RBI. Will Harris (4-0) was the winning pitcher.
Caleb Burr had three hits, with two doubles and a home run, and one RBI for Belmont Abbey. Todd Velotta had two hits and an RBI and Adams had two RBIs. Spencer Cipro (3-4) took the loss.
The Braves will continue their road swing Tuesday, April 16, as they travel to take on Catawba at Atrium Health Ballpark, home of the the MILB Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Mount Olive takes two from Braves softball
The UNC Pembroke softball team was limited to just two hits as Mount Olive put up four runs in the first and fifth innings, as the Trojans defeated the Braves 10-2 in five innings in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Chapman Field.
UMO held a 7-2 lead heading into the sixth inning of game two before a late surge from UNCP, highlighted by a three-run blast from Jai Deese in the top of the seventh inning, looked to be the turning point. But the next three batters were retired as the hosts completed the sweep with a 7-5 outcome.
In the opener, Laci Best singled through the left side in the first inning for Mount Olive (34-11, 15-5 CC), followed by a four-pitch walk from Kylie Emanuele. Both runners advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch, as Lark Collins beat out an infield single to score Best. Emily Cassidy capped off the inning with a three-run homer over the left field fence to give Mount Olive an early 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, Marijo Wilkes drew a six-pitch walk before Kaitlyn King lit up the scoreboard with a two-run blast over the left field fence for UNCP (18-29, 9-11 CC).
King and Sibbett had one hit each to account for the two UNCP hits in the opener. Summer Bullard (8-11) took the loss.
Cassidy had three hits including two home runs and six RBIs for the Trojans. Cana Shrock had two hits with a home run and two RBIs. Hannah Killough (11-6) earned the win.
In the nightcap, King singled down the left field line in the third inning and advanced to third on a double to left field from Kynley Brewer. Jai Deese smacked an RBI single up the middle to score King, and Wilkes drove in Brewer to give UNCP a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom half, Emma Mooney drew a lead off walk, as Courtlynn Cooney reached on a throwing error. With runners on second and third, Best laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Mooney. Kylie Emanuele drew a walk and then stole second, as Lark Collins beat out a bunt to score Cooney and give Mount Olive a 4-2 lead.
The Braves put runners on first and second in the seventh after King reached via error and Brewer drew a walk. Deese sent one out of the park for a three-run homer to cut the score back to 7-5.
Deese had two hits and four RBIs for UNCP. Kinsley Sheppard (8-10) was the losing pitcher.
Trojans hitters Collins and Best had two hits each, with three RBI for Collins and one for Best. Callie Thornton (15-2) struck out six in seven innings pitched for Mount Olive to earn the win.
The Braves will play their final road contests of the season on Wednesday when they travel to Wilson to face Barton. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Jeffries Field.
