MOC baseball batters Shaw Univ.

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 23, 2005 1:58 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE - Santos Estremera's bases-loaded triple highlighted an eight-run fourth inning and Daniel Wood pitched six innings of scoreless relief as Mount Olive defeated Shaw 18-4 in non-conference baseball Tuesday at Scarborough Field. Stephen Nordan had three doubles, while Jonathan Pullen and Lance Martin also had three hits apiece to pace the Trojans' season-high 19-hit attack.

Mount Olive tied an NCAA Division II single-game record with six sacrifice hits Tuesday, including five sacrifice flies. The Trojans became the third Division II team to record six sacrifice hits in a game, joining Armstrong Atlantic State (2004) and Northwest Missouri State (2002).

Mount Olive (7-8) capitalized on three errors in the second inning and used two double steals in the third inning to rally from an early three-run deficit and take a 5-4 lead. Shaw (4-3) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on Travis Salley's two-out opposite-field home run to right field and Jarel Walter's two-run homer over the right field fence.

Kevin White, who had three hits for Shaw, singled home an unearned run in the third.

After scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly, a passed ball and Nick Paniccia's RBI-single, the Trojans loaded the bases and Estremera lined the ball to the center field fence for his second triple of the season to clear the bases and give the Trojans an 11-4 lead. Ricky Davis, who led off the inning with a bunt single, walked and stole second, and Pullen brought home two more runs with his second double of the inning.

The Trojans scored a run in the fifth on Martin's sacrifice fly and the Trojans used two more sacrifice flies in a four-run seventh inning.

Estremera also singled home a run in the inning, giving him four runs batted in for the day.

Tuesday's contest marked the longest outing for Wood, who has a 0.82 earned run average in three appearances and 11.0 innings pitched.

Shaw starter Joe Black (1-2) took the loss, allowing five runs (two unearned) on two hits and six walks in 2.2 innings pitched.

Mount Olive returns to action Wednesday as the Trojans play host to North Carolina Wesleyan in non-conference action. Game time is 2 p.m.

Shaw travels to Claflin Thursday at 2 p.m.