No. 20-ranked Trojans take CVAC twinbill from archrival Barton

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 25, 2007 2:18 AM

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WILSON -- Dustin Richardson led a six home-run attack with two home runs as No. 20-ranked Mount Olive dumped archrival Barton 13-9 in game two of their Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Nixon Field.

Anthony Williams and David Cooper collected two hits apiece as the Trojans claimed a come-from-behind, 13-4 victory in the opener. Mount Olive (29-8 overall, 12-2 CVAC) extended its win streak to 11 games and the doubleheader sweep assured the Trojans of winning their fifth straight CVAC series.

Mount Olive trailed 3-0 after the first inning of game one, but Erik Lovett put the Trojans on the scoreboard with a solo home run -- his 11th of the season -- in the top of the second. Barton (17-22, 7-9) extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third on Robbie Byrd's lead-off home run.

The Trojans pulled within a run in the fourth when Josh Harrison tripled in a run and scored on a passed ball. Mount Olive took the lead for good one inning later.

The first seven Trojan batters all reached base before an out was recorded in the fifth, starting with back-to-back doubles by Williams and Cooper to tie the game. After a walk to Stephen Nordan, Cooper scored on Scott Houin's RBI single to put the Trojans ahead to stay.

Richardson singled in a run and Lovett walked to load the bases, and Josh Carter followed with a two-run double to extend Mount Olive's lead to 8-4. Williams and Cooper connect on consecutive RBI singles to give the Trojans a 10-4 lead. The Trojans sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning.

Mount Olive closed out the scoring with three runs in the eighth inning.

Todd Jeffreys (4-1) entered the game in the first inning and allowed only one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched, striking out four. Anthony Hernandez closed out the game with three scoreless innings in relief for his first save of the season.

In the nightcap, Houin homered in the first inning and Richardson homered in the third as the two teams were tied 4-4 after three. Barton broke the tie with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on Zach Boyette's rbi-double and Jonathan Nichols' RBI single.

Once again, the fifth inning was big for Mount Olive as the Trojans scored six runs to take the lead for good. Cooper tripled in a run and came home on Nordan's two-run homer. Two outs later, Lovett and Carter hit back-to-back doubles and Harrison followed with a towering two-run homer to give Mount Olive a 10-6 lead.

Richardson's second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the top of the sixth, extended the Trojans' lead to 12-6. The two home runs give Richardson 11 on the season, tying him with Lovett for the team lead and marking the first time since 2004 that two Trojans surpassed the 10-home run mark in the same season. Steve Parrish and Craig Hurba last accomplished the feat.

After Barton scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, Carter finished up Mount Olive's scoring with a leadoff home run in the seventh. Travis Holloman added a two-run double for Barton in the bottom of the seventh.

Weston Curles (2-2) pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief for the win.

The two teams conclude their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.