Mount Olive, N.C. (Mar. 19, 2025)- The Virginia State University Baseball team traveled to University of Mount Olive for a matinee game and lost 12-2 in seven innings. 

To start the game Jaden Guthrie got on base after an error by the UMO shortstop. TJ McGowan then hit a one out triple to right field to right field, Jaquan Tucker then grounded out to short for an RBI making it 2-0 early. Preston Branzelle started on the mound for VSU and produced a 1-2-3 inning.  UMO managed to get runners on second and third but a groundout to third got Virginia State out of the inning. The Trojans once again went down in order in the second through fourth innings.  

After a single and a double down the left field line got runners back on second and third for UMO. A wild pitch would then let both runners advance which was followed by a single to tie the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Branzelle was able to work out of the inning. For the third inning in a row UMO got runners on second and third but a fly out to center field.  

To start the sixth inning Guthrie singled to center field to become the third Trojan player to record a hit.  He was then caught stealing, but McGowan worked the first walk for the UMO pitcher who came in to start the second inning. Charles Jones entered to pitch in the bottom of the sixth for VSU. UMO was able to get runners on the corners with no outs, the runner on first then stole second to get both runners in scoring position. Mount Olive the had a seeing eye single to take the lead, 3-2. Another single up the middle scored a run and put runners on the corners with only one out.  A walk then loaded the bases and on the first pitch the next batter singled up the middle making it 5-2. A three-run triple for UMO broke the game open making it 8-2, the next batter then grounded out to the pitcher but still brought in the runner on third.  

Jaron Ward started the seventh inning getting on via a UMO error then advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. However, Ward was stranded on second. Thomas Ealey came in to pitch the seventh inning and a single, stolen base and a VSU errors but UMO runners on the corners with one out. A triple to left center brought both runners around to score and then a pass ball brought that runner home making it 12-2.  Virginia State drops to 2-11 on the year and will return home for the first time in a month to face off against Barton College on Wednesday March 25 at 3 pm.