MOC softball falls to Pfeiffer

Published in Sports on February 26, 2006 2:16 AM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- Morgan Whaley's first collegiate home run helped stake Mount Olive to a three-run lead, but Erin Furness connected on three doubles as Pfeiffer rallied for an 8-4 victory in game one of a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball doubleheader Saturday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The loss was the first of the year for the Trojans.

Pfeiffer completed the sweep, breaking open a one-run game with four runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the Trojans 6-1 in game two.

Mount Olive (7-2 overall, 0-2 CVAC) rallied from an early deficit in game one as Tiffanie Pittman led off with a double and Whaley hit a two-out two-run homer to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead. Colleen Thomas' rbi-single keyed a two-run fourth inning to give Mount Olive a 4-1 lead.

Pfeiffer (2-6, 2-0) sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the fifth as Furness' rbi-double sparked a four-run inning and gave the Falcons a 5-4 lead. Stephanie Brandt singled home two runs in the sixth and Katie Dunne added an rbi-single in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Dacia James (1-3) went the distance for Pfeiffer to pick up the win, while Christine Ermer (1-1) picked up the loss in relief.

In the second game, Pfeiffer took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Jody McCurdy's rbi-double and Brandt's run-scoring single. During one stretch in the two games, Brandt singled in five consecutive at-bats.

Mount Olive stayed within two runs as Trojan starter Shauna Cowdrey (4-1) allowed only three hits over the next five innings. But Pfeiffer starter Amanda Beck (1-2) held the Trojans to only three hits through the first five innings, receiving defensive help when second baseman Dunne made a diving catch on Jamie Pruitt's line drive up the middle.

The Trojans got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Thomas tripled with one out and scored on Whaley's single. Mount Olive had the bases loaded with one out after Georgette Richardson doubled and Bailey Harrell reached on an error. But relief pitcher Kayleigh Snyder got out of the jam on a 1-2-3 double play.

Pfeiffer broke the game open in the top of the seventh as Furness' rbi-double highlighted a four-run inning. Snyder allowed a one-out single to Wilson in the bottom of the seventh, but retired the final two batters on ground outs to earn the save.

Mount Olive returns to action Sunday as the Trojans travel to Lawrenceville, Va., to take on St. Paul's in a non-conference doubleheader. Game time is 1 p.m. Pfeiffer plays host to Lees-McRae Tuesday at 2 p.m. in a CVAC doubleheader.