MOC rally comes up short

Published in Sports on February 15, 2006 2:22 PM

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MISENHEIMER -- Mount Olive put together a four-run rally with two outs in the top of the ninth, but fell 6-5 to Pfeiffer University in their NCAA Division II Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball opener on Tuesday afternoon.

Mount Olive (5-2 overall, 0-1 CVAC) took a quick 1-0 lead as David Cooper led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on Lance Martin's single.

The lead held until the bottom of the third when Pfeiffer (1-0, 2-7) used a pair of walks, a hit batsman and a single to plate a pair of runs and take a 2-1 lead. The Falcons added two more in the fourth and capitalized on an error and a passed ball in the eighth to extend the lead to 6-1.

Mount Olive had threatened in the seventh inning when Mike Kicia drew a leadoff walk -- his third walk of the game -- and moved to second when Tim Morgan reached on an error. But Kicia was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a single by Cooper.

After the first two Trojan batters struck out in the top of the ninth, Kyle Curtis singled, Morgan was hit by a pitch and Cooper followed with his third hit of the game to load the bases. Martin and Stephen Nordan were both hit by pitches as the Trojans closed the gap to 6-3.

Josh Carter then singled home two runs to pull Mount Olive within a run. But Pfeiffer got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the game.

Mount Olive's first three batters of the game reached on singles in the top of the first and the Trojans collected three hits in the ninth, but Cooper's single in the seventh inning was the Trojans' only other hit of the ballgame.

A double in the bottom of the eighth inning by Pfeiffer's Justin Ridenhour was the game's only extra-base hit. Pfeiffer finished with nine hits.

The two teams conclude their series today with a doubleheader comprised of a seven-inning game and a nine-inning game. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Harrison earns

CVAC honor

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive outfielder Josh Harrison has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball player of the week, it was announced Tuesday.

Harrison, a sophomore from Wake Forest, hit .615 in six games with two home runs and 10 runs batted in. Harrison homered, doubled and drove in four runs in game one against nationally 30th-ranked Shippensburg, then added an RBI double in the second game as the Trojans gained a doubleheader split.

In the Trojans' opening series against Newberry, Harrison drove in the tying run in the sixth inning in one come-from-behind win and hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth in the series finale to put the Trojans ahead to stay and complete a four-game sweep.

He also belted a two-run homer during the series.

Five of Harrison's eight hits so far have been for extra bases.

MOC Sports Information