No. 22 Trojans split twinbill

Published in Sports on March 11, 2007 10:08 AM

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HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Judson Smith allowed four hits in eight shutout innings and Dustin Richardson powered the offense with a home run and three runs batted in as nationally 22nd-ranked Mount Olive defeated Coker 8-0 in game one of a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday.

The Trojans had to settle for a split in the twinbill as Coker won the nightcap 7-2. Mount Olive was held to three hits in Game 2.

Mount Olive (18-8 overall, 6-2 CVAC) got all the runs Smith (4-1) would need in top of the first inning as the Trojans scored an unearned run on an error and Scott Houin singled in a run. After the next two batters were retired, Richardson belted his sixth home run of the season to give Mount Olive a 4-0 lead.

The Trojans added two more runs in the third as Erik Lovett drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Josh Carter scored on Richardson's double to give Mount Olive a 6-0 lead. Stephen Nordan's RBI single in the fourth inning extended the lead to 7-0 and the Trojans capped the scoring in the eighth with a run on a fielder's choice.

Smith retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and held Coker (8-17, 3-5) hitless until two-out singles in the bottom of fourth by Eric Losten and Julio Gomez. Smith got out of the inning on a ground out to short.

Smith struck out four and walked none. All four hits allowed by Smith were singles. Thomas Newsome retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.

In the nightcap, Mount Olive rallied from an early 2-0 deficit as Lovett led off the top of the second with a triple and scored on Richardson's single. Richardson advanced to third on a pair of ground outs and scored on an error to tie the game 2-2. But the Trojans would be held to one hit the rest of the way, a sixth inning single by David Cooper. Coker starter Matt Conyers retired 10 consecutive batters and 15 of the last 16 he faced.

Trojan starter Tom Layne (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, striking out seven and allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings. Phillip Pennington pitched the final inning for the Trojans.

-- MOC sports information