Trojan baseball falls to ranked Falcons

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 23, 2004 1:55 PM

• Print
• Email

MISENHEIMER -- Jess Maloney's leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 9-9 tie and host Pfeiffer went on to defeat Mount Olive 15-11 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball Sunday at Misenheimer. Mount Olive and Pfeiffer belted three home runs apiece in the game and combined for 11 homers in the three-game series.

Mount Olive (9-4 overall, 1-2 CVAC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Zach Nichols hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run second inning. The Trojans led 5-4 after three innings as used two-run homers by Matt Long in the bottom of the second and Jeff Robbins in the bottom of the third to pull within a run. Shawn Warner singled home a run in the top of the third for Mount Olive.

Pfeiffer (12-1, 2-1) took its first lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Mount Olive answered with four runs in the top of the sixth as Stephen Nordan's three-run homer gave the Trojans a 9-6 lead. Pfeiffer tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as Robert Scott's two-run single capped a three-run inning.

Pfeiffer took the lead for good when Maloney led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run. Bryant Parne doubled home a run and Scott hit his second two-run single in as many innings to give the Falcons a 13-9 lead. After Pfeiffer added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, Mount Olive rallied in the top of the ninth as Craig Hurba hit a leadoff home run and Steve Parrish and Jonathan Pullen followed with back-to-back doubles to cut the lead to four with nobody out. But Brian York, who started the game at shortstop for Pfeiffer, went to the mound in relief and retired all three batters he faced to seal the win.

Mount Olive posted a 1-2 record in the three-game series after splitting Saturday's doubleheader. Pfeiffer and Mount Olive entered their conference-opening series ranked first and second, respectively, in the CVAC preseason coaches' poll. Pfeiffer is ranked No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30.

Mount Olive returns to action Tuesday as the Trojans play host to Shaw in non-conference NCAA II baseball. Game time is 2:30 p.m. at Scarborough Field.

MOC softball splits

with Newberry

NEWBERRY, S.C. -- Liz Recny went 3-for-3 and scored two runs as Mount Olive defeated host Newberry 6-4 in the second game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Sunday at Newberry. In game one, Christina Kirby singled home the winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh to give Newberry a 4-3 victory.

Kim Goens led off game one for Mount Olive (1-4) with a double in the top of the first and scored when Colleen Thomas reached on an error. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth when the Trojans used an error and a wild pitch to score two more runs and take a 3-0 lead. Erin Wilson, who singled and scored in the inning, had two hits for the Trojans.

Mount Olive starting pitcher Shauna Cowdrey took a five-hit shutout into the sixth inning before Newberry (3-3) capitalized on an error to score three unearned runs as Julie Wideman's two-run single tied the game 3-3.

After Erin Case relieved Cowdrey in the bottom of the seventh, Jen Wilson singled, advanced on a sacrifice and eventually scored on Kirby's single.

In the second game, Mount Olive rallied from an early 1-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the third as the Trojans loaded the bases with nobody out. Goens singled home the first run, Recny scored on an error and Goens came home on Kristie Smith's groundout. The Trojans went up 4-1 in the fifth when Recny scored on Melissa Bright's infield single.

Newberry scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but Mount Olive capitalized on three errors to score two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Newberry scored another run in the bottom of the seventh, but Trojan catcher Niki Price ended the rally when she threw out a runner trying to steal third.

Case (1-3) went the distance for Mount Olive, striking out three, walking none and allowing only two earned runs.

Mount Olive is off until Saturday when the Trojans play host to Belmont Abbey in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference action. Game time is 2 p.m. Nancy Chapman Cassell Field.