MOC double header

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 7, 2011 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

HICKORY -- Michael Knox homered and drove in three runs for the second consecutive game and Chris Hinton retired both batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to stop a late rally as No. 7-ranked Mount Olive held on for a 10-9 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in game one of their non-conference baseball doubleheader Sunday at Hickory.

Jacob Rogers, who also had three runs batted, put the Trojans ahead to stay with a two-run triple in a four-run seventh inning.

The Trojans completed the doubleheader and series sweep with an 8-2 victory in the nightcap as Pete Levitt scattered six hits in six innings in his first start for Mount Olive. Andrew Manning's two-run double highlighted a four-run second inning.

In the opener Mount Olive (3-0 overall) built a 4-1 lead with single runs in each of the first four innings. Manning, who hit a pinch-hit three-run double in the Trojans' 10-run ninth inning in Saturday's 19-9 victory, singled home the first run of the game in the second inning. Knox hit a one-out solo home run in the fifth after Lenoir-Rhyne got on the scoreboard the previous inning.

Knox and Rogers led Mount Olive's 14-hit attack with three hits apiece. Faison, Gaeta and Manning each had two hits.

In game two, Levitt (1-0) struck out the side in the fourth inning and took a one-hit shutout into the fifth inning. Levitt, who allowed single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, struck out six and walked only one. Hinton retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh the scheduled seven-inning game.

The Trojans scored 37 runs in the three-game series.

Mount Olive will travel to Greenwood, S.C., to compete in the Lander University Tournament this weekend.

Mount Olive, the 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball College World Series champion, will play two former national champions in the tournament.

The Trojans open play Friday at 7 p.m. against 2009 national champion Lynn. Mount Olive wraps up play Sunday at 3 p.m. against multi-time national champion and nationally fifth-ranked Tampa.