Trojan diamond 9 when 3rd CVAC series of season

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 12, 2007 2:59 PM

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HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Josh Carter and Erik Lovett powered a 17-hit attack with four hits apiece as nationally 22nd-ranked Mount Olive defeated Coker 13-5 in the rubber game of their three-game Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball series Sunday. The Trojans have won each of their first three CVAC series.

Carter's two-run triple -- his second triple of the game -- highlighted a six-run sixth inning as Mount Olive broke away from a one-run game. The Trojans belted a season-high four triples in the game.

Mount Olive (19-8 overall, 7-2 CVAC) trailed 3-1 after three innings, but pulled within a run in the top of the fourth as Mike Kicia drew a one-out walk, stole second and eventually scored on David Cooper's single. Scott Houin led off the top of the fifth with his fifth home run of the season to tie the game and the Trojans took a 4-3 lead after back-to-back two-out triples by Carter and Graham Wooten.

The Trojans broke the game open in the sixth, scoring their first run of the inning on consecutive one-out singles by Cooper, Stephen Nordan and Houin. Dustin Richardson drove in two more runs with a double to left-center make the score 7-3. After a single by Lovett, Carter tripled to right to drive in both runners and extend Mount Olive's lead to 9-3. Carter scored on Josh Harrison's pinch-hit sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a 10-3 lead.

Coker (8-18, 3-6) scored a run on Steven Evans' triple in the bottom of the sixth, but Mount Olive struck for three more in the seventh, all with two outs. Houin tripled and Richardson walked, and both runners scored on Lovett's double. Lovett came home on Carter's single up the middle to cap the scoring.

Houin and Cooper added three hits apiece for the Trojans.

Trojan starter Darrell Ellis (2-1) went seven innings, striking out five and walking one. Second baseman Anthony Williams helped stop a Cobra rally in the seventh with an unassisted double play on a line drive. Anthony Hernandez closed out the game with two scoreless innings in relief.

Mount Olive has three games at home under the lights this week against a pair of northern-based teams. The Trojans entertain Bryant (R.I.) Tuesday at 6 p.m., then play host to Indiana (Pa.) for a two-game series Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m. at Scarborough Field.