MOC round-up

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 30, 2009 1:46 PM

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MOC

Sports Information

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- Jose Lanier collected 17 kills, six blocks and five service aces as Mount Olive College dropped a five-set, non-conference decision to East Stroudsburg (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon.

Pedro Penate supplied a double-double -- 12 kills,15 digs -- in the Trojans' 30-25, 26-30, 30-15, 26-30, 14-16 defeat. First-year setter Alex Hoekstra notched a double-double -- 44 assists, 10 kills.

Christiaan Rombaut posted 11 kills and six digs. Noel Garcia contributed 10 kills and seven blocks, while senior middle hitter Mike Carroll delivered a match-high nine blocks.

The Trojans (11-8 overall) started the weekend with a three-set loss at No. 8-ranked Penn State.

The defending national champions held the Trojans to a zero hitting percentage in a 30-20, 30-15, 30-23 victory on Saturday evening. Penn State (20-3) seized its fifth consecutive win after back-to-back losses to nationally-ranked foes Long Beach State and BYU.

Rombaut emerged Mount Olive's top offensive performer with nine kills. Garcia pounded out eight kills, while Penate had six kills and four digs. Lanier registered five kills and libero Felix Reimundo picked up seven digs.

Hoekstra handed out 26 assists.

The Trojans committed 14 service errors.

Penn State, which leads the all-time series 3-0 against MOC, had 21 block assists and 39 team kills in the sweep.

Baseball

BELMONT -- Belmont Abbey erupted for three seventh-inning runs and handed three-time defending Carolinas Conference champion Mount Olive a 4-3 setback on Sunday afternoon.

Trojan right-hander B.J. Dail retired 11 of 14 batters after permitting a second-inning, solo home run. The North Carolina transfer retired two batters and issued two walks before exiting with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Dail logged seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings and surrendered three runs on three hits. Reliever Ryan Williams endured the mound loss when he yielded the game-winning single to Daniel Kassouf.

The Crusaders (19-15 overall) managed just five hits in the win.

Jesse Lancaster and Rich Racobaldo delivered third-inning, RBI hits for the Trojans. Airlon Vinson, who cranked out two hits, notched an RBI single in the fifth inning.

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