MOC-St. Andrews softball
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 18, 2010 1:48 PM
MOC
Sports Information
MOUNT OLIVE -- Four Mount Olive College pitchers combined for two one-hitters in a doubleheader sweep of Conference Carolinas softball rival St. Andrews at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field on Wednesday evening.
Freshman right-hander Lauren Darden carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Sasha Snyder finished in relief, sparking the Trojans to a 6-0 victory in the opener.
Veterans Kristin Ware and Sarah Saunders combined for a one-hitter in the nightcap, which led to a 6-0 conquest of the Knights.
Darden (3-10) overcame walks in the first and second innings, then retired 10 consecutive batters. Eryn Wiley's lead-off single in the sixth broke up Darden's no-hit bid, but second baseman Katie Nalley's diving catch on a line drive ignited an inning-ending double play.
Darden finished with eight strikeouts in six innings. Snyder recorded two strikeouts in the seventh to seal the win.
Erika Taylor, who came within a foot of a grand slam home run Monday against Catawba, lined a two-strike pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run homer, her first of the season. Robbin Kennedy, who doubled and scored in the second inning, added an RBI single in the sixth.
Kennedy and Bowen had three hits apiece for the Trojans.
Ware (3-3) retired 15 of the 16 batters she faced in five innings, allowing only a two-out single in the second. Ware finished with eight strikeouts.
Saunders allowed a walk in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh, getting a strikeout for the final out as MOC started conference play unbeaten.
The Trojans (10-15 overall, 2-0 CC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Minshew drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Alyssa Bradshaw's RBI single. Taylor added a two-run single in the inning.
Mount Olive plated two more runs in the second and capped the scoring with a run in the third.
The Trojans return to action this weekend with back-to-back road doubleheaders at Limestone (S.C.) on Saturday and Queens University on Sunday.