Trojan softball sweeps Anderson, improves to 6-0 in CVAC

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 18, 2007 2:14 AM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Junior catcher Bailey Harrell drove in two runs with a two-out single in the first inning of game one and hit a 250-foot home run in game two as Mount Olive swept Anderson (S.C.) University 6-2 and 7-1 in a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field.

With the sweep over second-place Anderson, Mount Olive remains the only team unbeaten in conference play.

The host Trojans (22-7 overall, 6-0 CVAC) took an early 2-0 lead in game one as Tiffanie Pittman led off the bottom of the first with a double. Mount Olive had runners on second and third with one out after Morgan Whaley walked and stole second. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Harrell looped the ball over the second baseman on a check swing to drive in both runners.

Kensie Cobb led off the bottom of the second with her second home run of the season, extending her hitting streak to 10. Courtney Wallace followed with a double and scored two outs later on Pittman's bloop single to right to extend the Trojans' lead to 4-0.

Whaley's RBI single highlighted a two-run fifth inning to give Mount Olive a 6-0 lead.

Trojan starter Jenny Jackson (6-3) overcame Meredith Knox's lead-off double in the top of the first by retiring 15 of the next 16 batters she faced, striking out the side in the third.

Anderson (16-9, 8-4) broke up Jackson's shutout bid in the top of the sixth as Knox singled with one out and Kayla Williams followed one out later with a two-run homer, her team-leading sixth of the season. The home run ended a string of 20 consecutive scoreless innings by Mount Olive pitchers.

After Anderson put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the seventh, Christine Ermer came out of the bullpen to retire the final two batters on a ground out and a strike out for her second save of the season.

Pittman, who was 6-for-6 in Thursday's doubleheader at St. Andrews, went 2-for-2 with two walks in game one Saturday.

In game two, Anderson took a 1-0 lead when Kayla Williams led off the top of the second with a home run. But Harrell would make sure the lead was short-lived.

Harrell, who hit 11 home runs last season, led off the bottom of the second with a towering home run to tie the game. The Trojans added two unearned runs in the inning as Kat Cahoon singled and eventually scored on a single and Pittman doubled in a run to give Mount Olive a 3-1 lead.

The Trojans added a run in the bottom of the fourth as Melissa Bright doubled with one out, moved to third on a ground out and stole home, escaping a rundown between the Anderson catcher and third baseman. Mount Olive capitalized on three Anderson errors in a three-run sixth inning to cap the scoring.

Shauna Cowdrey (7-2) picked up her sixth consecutive win, allowing one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Cowdrey struck out six and walked three. Ermer once again came out of the bullpen and retired both batters she faced, catching a line drive up the middle to end the game.

Jackson went 3-for-4 in game two, while Pittman, Cahoon and Whaley added two hits apiece in Mount Olive's 12-hit attack.

Mount Olive entertains Chowan today at 1 p.m.

-- MOC Sports Information