Mount Olive College sweeps Chowan

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 19, 2007 2:34 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Morgan Whaley hit two home runs in the first game and Shauna Cowdrey tossed a three-hit shutout in game two as Mount Olive extended its winning to six with a doubleheader sweep over Chowan 12-4 and 4-0 in non-conference softball Sunday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The two-home run performance is the first ever for Whaley, who is now tied for the team lead in home runs with six. Cowdrey's win was her seventh in a row.

Mount Olive (24-7) had to overcome an early deficit as two Trojan errors led to two unearned runs for Chowan in the top of the first. Whaley cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first with a two-out solo home run.

Chowan (14-14-1) extended its lead to 3-1 in the third inning as Nichole Young led off with a double, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

The Trojans tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third. Melissa Bright hit a lead off single and Whaley followed with a double. Bright scored on a passed ball and Whaley came home on Kensie Cobb's single to make the score 3-3.

Mount Olive took the lead for good with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Trojan starter Krystal Bourne (6-0) held Chowan to three hits through four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth as Kaytee McLaughlin homered to lead off the inning and Katie Conlon doubled with one out. Christine Ermer came out of the bullpen and retired the next two batters on ground outs.

The Trojans broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth as Whaley hit a three-run homer to extend the lead to 9-4. After Jamie Pruitt walked and Bailey Harrell singled, Cobb brought them both home with a triple to center. Cobb scored on Courtney Wallace's ground out to invoke the eight-run rule and end the game. Cobb finished with four runs batted in.

Bourne struck out three and allowed five hits in 41/3 innings pitched for her sixth consecutive win. Ermer picked up her third save of the season.

In the second game, Cowdrey (8-2) tossed a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts and one walk.

Cowdrey has allowed only two earned runs (three total runs) over her last 421/3 innings pitched for a 0.33 earned run average during the span.