MOC-Coker baseball

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 6, 2009 1:46 PM

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MOC Sports Information

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Rich Racobaldo slugged a three-run homer and Alex Vertcnik plated three RBI as Mount Olive hammered Coker (S.C.) College 10-2 in a Conference Carolinas baseball game Sunday afternoon.

Racobaldo concluded the day 3-for-4 for the Trojans, who swept the three-game weekend series. Mount Olive (23-16 overall) improved to 9-6 in league play this season.

Trojan hurler Kyle Jones, in his first start since Feb. 7, retired the first seven batters he faced before permitting a one-out single in the third inning. Jones logged two strikeouts and surrendered two hits.

Craig Beasley threw two innings behind Jones. Ryan Kussmaul closed out the game with three innings of scoreless, two-strikeout relief.

Racobaldo swatted his multiple-run homer in the fifth inning, giving him a team-leading 10 round-trippers for the season. Vertcnik delivered run-scoring hits in the seventh and eighth innings.

Mount Olive travels to Kinston on Tuesday for its annual exhibition game against the Indians, a Single A affiliate of Cleveland. First pitch is 7 p.m. at historic Grainger Stadium.