No. 27-ranked Trojans rally, pound Shaw University

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 23, 2007 2:19 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Dustin Richardson drove in four runs with a home run and a double and David Cooper set a school record by drawing five walks as nationally 27th-ranked Mount Olive defeated Shaw 19-8 in non-conference baseball Thursday at Scarborough Field. Josh Harrison and Scott Houin drove in three runs apiece as the Trojans won their fourth in a row and notched their highest scoring output of the season.

Mount Olive (9-5) overcame a 1-0 deficit with a five-run first inning, highlighted by Houin's two-run double and Richardson's two-out, two-run homer, his fourth of the season. The Trojans added single runs in the third and fourth innings on RBI doubles by Harrison and Jackson Massey, and Erik Lovett hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season with one out in the fifth to give the Trojans an 8-2 lead.

The Trojans erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth as Houin drew a bases-loaded walk, Lovett hit a sacrifice fly and Harrison hit his second double of the game to bring home a run. Richardson followed with a two-run double and Jon Skelley belted a two-run homer, his first of the season to extend Mount Olive's lead to 15-2.

Shaw (1-5) struck for four runs in the top of the seventh as Jeffrey Cannon hit a two-run homer, the Bears' second home run of the day. Avery Bryant hit a solo homer in the fourth inning. Shaw had a runner in scoring position with only one out in the seventh, but the Trojans got out of the inning with a double play.

After Shaw added two unearned runs in the top of the eighth, Casey Hodges capped a four-run Trojan eighth inning with a two-run double.

Richardson went 3-for-4 for Mount Olive and was one of 12 Trojans to collect at least one base hit in Mount Olive's 17-hit attack. Averill Bryant went 4-for-5 for Shaw.

Starter Rick Lawyer (1-0) pitched five innings and took the win, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five. Ryan Barham pitched two innings in relief, while Bradley Bradshaw and Thomas Newsome pitched an inning apiece. Shaw starter Edgar Huff pitched five innings and took the loss.

Mount Olive returns to action this weekend as the Trojans play host to Shippensburg (Pa.) for a four-game non-conference series at Scarborough Field.

The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, then wrap up the series Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Shaw travels to Orangeburg, S.C., Saturday for a doubleheader at Claflin beginning at 2 p.m.

Shaw 100 100 420 -- 8 13 1

MOC 501 117 04X -- 19 17 1

Pitchers: Shaw -- Edgar Huff; Joe Black (6); Brandon King (8). Mount Olive -- Rick Lawyer; Ryan Barham(6);Bradley Bradshaw(8); Thomas Newsome(9).

Win-Lawyer(1-0) Loss-Huff

HR Shaw -- Jeffrey Cannon; Avery Bryant.

HR MOC -- Erik Lovett (5); Dustin Richardson (4); Jon Skelley (1).

T-3:00 A-205

-- MOC sports information