MOUNT OLIVE, NC – The Virginia State University baseball team dropped a nonconference game on Monday afternoon against Mount Olive College. The Trojans fell to the Trojans of Mount Olive 9-6 to conclude their regular season. The Trojans slip to 24-16 on the season with the loss while Mount Olive improves to 34-11. Mount Olive is currently ranked 19^th in the NCAA Division II standings.

Mount led early in the first inning as Chase Edwards came home from a wild pitch. The Trojans allowed Mount Olive to score in every inning except the sixth and seventh innings.

VSU brought home their first run after bases were loaded; Jamison Griffin (Newport News, VA) was hit by a pitch to drive in the Trojans opening run.

For the next two innings, the Trojans would go scoreless until the top of the fifth where Nicholas Christopher (Dinwiddie, VA) singled to spark VSU's momentum.

David Markins (Colonial Heights, VA) singled through the left side, advancing Tyler Coleman (Chesterfield, VA) and brother Joshua Markins (Colonial Heights, VA) advanced to third while Christopher scored.

Percy Evans (Cary, NC) walked to bring in a run while the bases were still loaded. Corey Grant (Dinwiddie, VA) singled in another run through the right side as Coleman scored. Daryl Williams (Suffolk, VA) singled home the tying run as a bloop shot between Reitano and Allen fell and David Markins came in.

It was a tied ball game going into the bottom of the fifth until a throwing error by Christopher allowed Zak Orrison to reach first base with two outs which led to him stealing second following a single shot up the middle by Jay Gonzalez to score Orrison to break the tie as Mount Olive regained the lead.

VSU would not be able to stop Mount Olive's momentum as they capitalize on a 9-6 lead to pull away a victory in 9 innings of play.

Rodell Stewart (Dinwiddie, VA) was stuck with the loss as he went four innings allowing three runs off three hits and added two strikeouts.

The Trojans look ahead as they will compete in the CIAA Championships. The tournament begins on Thursday, April 17^th at 10:00 am in Ettrick, VA. Bracket information will be released as it becomes available.