Lenoir-Rhyne sweeps doubleheader from No. 1-ranked Mount Olive

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 8, 2009 2:00 AM

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MOC Sports Information

HICKORY -- Lenoir-Rhyne College knocked off No. 1-ranked Mount Olive College twice in a non-conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears swept the Trojans 10-9 and 11-4.

The teams conclude their three-game series today. First pitch is 1 p.m.

In game one, Will Rodriguez, Jonathan Smith and Dylan Holton paced Mount Olive's 14-hit attack with three hits apiece. The Trojans fell to 2-3 overall this season.

Rodriguez collected an RBI single in the top of the seventh and Andy Hilliard's pinch-hit double sparked a two-run eighth inning to pull the Trojans within 9-8. But L-RC's Evan Taylor homered to lead off the bottom of the eighth and provide what would prove to be the winning run.

The Trojans scored again in the top of the ninth without benefit of a base hit. Rich Racobaldo drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a balk. But Lenoir-Rhyne pitcher Max Loveland struck out the final two batters to close out the game.

David Travis (0-1) took the loss for Mount Olive after replacing starter Brent Haynes in the second inning. Three of the four runs Travis allowed in 4 2/3 innings were unearned.

Mount Olive stranded 15 runners.

In the nightcap, Lenoir-Rhyne put the game away in the fourth inning on Taylor's two-run single Alex Cooks' three-run homer.

Starter Kyle Jones (0-1) suffered his first loss as a Trojan. Jones allowed four runs in three innings, all unearned.

Mount Olive was held to five hits in the nightcap, two by Tyler Smith.