Mount Olive baseball defeats No. 28 Francis Marion

By David Williams
Published in Sports on March 4, 2004 1:56 PM

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FLORENCE, S.C. -- Craig Hurba's two-run home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning proved to be the game-winner as Mount Olive defeated nationally 28th-ranked Francis Marion 5-4 in NCAA II non-conference baseball Wednesday.

With the win, the Trojans gained a split in the two-game series.

Mount Olive (14-5) fell behind 1-0 after two innings before the two teams exchanged single runs over the next two innings. Francis Marion (8-7) added a run in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead before the Trojans answered with a run in the top of the sixth to pull within 4-3.

Mount Olive remained a run behind heading into the top of the ninth before Hurba's two-run homer put the Trojans ahead to stay.

Jason Sharp (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Brian Corbett pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Mount Olive returns to action this weekend as the Trojans travel to Laurinburg for a three-game Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference series against St. Andrews. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, then conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.

Softball -- Trojans try to extend win streak

MOUNT OLIVE -- "March Madness" continues at Mount Olive College. But today, instead of the hardwood, "March Madness" takes place on the softball diamond.

Mount Olive hopes to extend its three-game winning streak as the Trojans play host to Virginia State today in NCAA II non-conference softball. Game time is 1:30 p.m. at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field on the Mount Olive College campus.

Mount Olive (3-4) is coming off a doubleheader sweep over Shepherd Sunday. The Trojans rallied from a four-run eighth-inning deficit in game one to pull out a 6-5 win in nine innings. In the second game, Erin Case tossed a six-hit shutout as the Trojans defeated Shepherd 6-0.

Freshman shortstop Kim Goens has gotten off to a fast start in her collegiate career. Goens has hit safely in each of her first seven games and is batting .481 (13-for-27). Goens was named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Softball Player of the Week for her heroics against Shepherd, going 4-for-5 in game one with the game-winning rbi in the bottom of the ninth.

Virginia State (1-3) opened its season last weekend with four games at the Longwood University Tournament, finishing tournament play with a nine-inning 1-0 loss to Lock Haven.

Basketball -- Trojans No. 8 in regional poll

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College moved up one spot to No. 8 in this week's NCAA Division II East Region men's basketball poll, it was announced Wednesday.

Mount Olive, which spent the first three weeks at No. 2, has been ranked in the regional top 10 every week since the first poll was announced in January. This week's poll is the final poll of the regular season.

Mount Olive is one of three CVAC teams ranked in the East Region top 10.

Pfeiffer holds at No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week, while Queens remains ahead of Mount Olive at No. 7.

Three conference champions and five at-large teams will advance to NCAA II post-season play beginning next week.

If Mount Olive does not win the CVAC Tournament and the automatic bid that goes with the conference title, the Trojans' No. 8 ranking could still be high enough to earn an at-large bid to regionals, pending the Trojans' performance in the CVAC Tournament and the results of the three conference tournaments. The NCAA Division II East Regional takes place March 13-16 at a site to be determined. Selections and pairings will be announced Sunday night (March 7) at 10:30 p.m.