Trojans sweep Chowan, Lancaster nearing 800-win mark

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 24, 2010 11:09 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- Execution aside, Mount Olive picked up right where it left off nearly six days ago.

Fresh off their ninth Conference Carolinas tournament championship in program history, the Trojans claimed a non-conference doubleheader from Chowan University on Saturday afternoon.

Despite looking sloppy at times, Mount Olive prevailed 10-3 in the opener and 8-3 in game two at Scarborough Field. The twinbill sweep gave head coach Carl Lancaster career wins Nos. 798 and 799.

Lancaster, in his 24th season, can reach the 800-win plateau next weekend against in-region Division II foe Tusculum (Tenn.) College. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday.

The Trojans committed two errors in each outing against Chowan.

Bobby Leeper's solo home run to center field in the home half of the first gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead in game one.

William Ward's RBI single to left in the top of the second scored Southern Wayne alum Jordan Williams and tied the game at 1-1.

Topher Ellis' RBI double scored Joseph Westbrook as Mount Olive went in front 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Faison's RBI single scored Ellis.

Joseph Westbrook's towering three-run homer to right field in the bottom of the third extended the lead to 6-1. Faison added a sacrifice fly that scored Ellis.

Westbrook's two-run single in the bottom of the fourth stretched the lead to 9-1. The hit was Westbrook's ninth in as many at-bats and he finished 3 for 3 with five RBI in game one. Ellis followed with a sac fly.

Jackson Massey (7-1) earned the win on the mound for the Trojans. The senior left-hander surrendered one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks in five innings of work.

"I thought we were real sloppy," said Lancaster. "We did things today I've never seen before. After last weekend where we playing with so much energy and everything was tight, and we come in here playing a team with a so-so record and we kind of played to their level.

"But, our pitching was good."

Jared Mortensen and Jesse Lancaster both tossed an inning of relief for the Trojans. The pitching appearance was Lancaster's first since 2008.

The Hawks picked up a run in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Nate Stanton's RBI single to center field gave Chowan a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. Williams' RBI single stretched the margin to 2-0.

Mount Olive pulled within 2-1 on Mike Knox's sac fly in the bottom of the first inning. Dylan Holton's two-out, two-run single gave Mount Olive a 3-2 lead. Daniel Coffey provided an RBI infield single.

Williams' infield single and a Trojans' error scored Justin Bagbey and cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the third. Coffey drove a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning as the Trojans forged ahead 6-3.

Airlon Vinson's RBI double in the bottom of the fifth pushed the lead to 7-3. Nowak's RBI single in the home half of the sixth extended the advantage to 8-3. Nowak finished game two 4 for 4 with an RBI.

Westbrook's hitting streak was snapped in game two as he went 0 for 2, but reached base on a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Carter Capps (9-0) got the win on the mound in game two. The North Lenoir alum surrendered three unearned runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Mount Olive (40-9 overall) has won at least 40 games for the third time in the last four seasons.