MOC falls in weekend series at Barton

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 21, 2005 1:55 PM

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WILSON -- Barton College sophomore Kelly Stracke pitched a complete-game six-hitter on Sunday to help boost the Bulldogs to a 4-3 win over archrival 4-3.

Barton (8-7, 2-1 Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference) took the weekend series 2-1. Mount Olive dipped to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in league action.

Keyed by a Philip Pennington's second win of the week, the Trojans took the opener 11-6 on Saturday. Pennington (2-0) tossed six innings, yielding just one earned run.

Mount Olive dropped a 3-2 decision in the second game on Saturday as Donald Huff (0-2) picked up the loss.

In the rubber game on Sunday, the six-foot-five Stracke allowed but two earned runs, fanning five and walking three in raising his record to 2-0 for Barton. Losing pitcher Bryan Corbett lasted seven-plus innings and scattered five hits for the Trojans. Justin Staatz came on in relief and yielded one run on one it and a walk.

Mount Olive struck for two runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Stephen Nordan. Barton bounced back with a run in the second on a double down the right-field line by Rufus Wilson and a single by Kevin Brosseau. The Bulldgos pulled even at 2-2 in the fifth on another double by Wilson and a single by Brosseau.

In the bottom of the eighth, Corbett walked Dennis Blackmon, then Staatz came on in relief. Eric McInerny walked, before Tyler Petty singled home Blackmon, while McInerny scored on the throw for a 4-2 lead.

In classic MOC-Barton fashion, the Trojans mounted one last rally in the top of the ninth. Nick Paniccia singled and Jonathan Skelley, who finished with two hits, got aboard on a one-out fielding error, leaving runners at second and third. Pinch hitter Michael Glass grounded out to score a run, but a fielder's choice ended the uprising.

Petty, Wilson and Brosseau tallied two hits each for the Bulldogs.

Mount Olive returns to action at home on Tuesday with a double-header with Shaw University beginning at 2 p.m.