MOC - FMU baseball
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on March 3, 2011 1:47 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive's non-conference resume just got a big boost.
The No. 7-ranked Trojans ran their winning streak to 11 games with a sweep of No. 17 Francis Marion on Wednesday afternoon at Scarborough Field. Mount Olive claimed game one 7-0 and won game two 6-3.
"We came out today and played like the team I've been wanting to see for a while," said Trojans' head coach Carl Lancaster. "Those were two big wins for us."
Mount Olive (15-2 overall) starting pitcher Jeremy Hall (2-0) tossed a complete-game shutout in game one. Hall surrendered six hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Hall stranded a Patriots' base runner in five of the seven innings. He used a strikeout to get out of trouble with runners on first and second base in the fifth inning.
"Jeremy Hall was unbelievable today," said Lancaster. "He was locating in and out. He threw the ball exactly where he wanted to. For a mid-week guy to come out and give us an effort like that we're very pleased."
Nick Gaeta's RBI single in the bottom of the second scored Dan Hayduk to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. Gaeta later came around to score on Joseph Westbrook's RBI single. Jason Simone's two-run double to center field extended the lead to 4-0.
Mike Knox's two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning put Mount Olive in front 6-0. Knox has 12 home runs in 16 games this season. Gaeta's RBI groundout pushed the lead to 7-0.
"You've always got to respect Mike Knox," said Lancaster. "They did a good job with him in the second game and he's got to be a little more patient at the plate."
Simone's three doubles tied a school single-game record. Westbrook added a pair of hits.
Tyler Boyd scored on a Trojans' error in the top of the first inning to give Francis Marion a 1-0 lead in game two.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Daniel Coffey and Tyler Smith in the bottom of the second inning gave Mount Olive a 2-1 advantage. Ryan Faison drew a bases-loaded walk and Simone tacked on a two-run single to increase the margin to 5-1.
Matt Hinkle got the start on the mound for the Trojans in game two. Hinkle surrendered one run on one hit with one strikeout and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of work. Reliever David Combs struck out Preston Shuey with the bases loaded to end a Patriots' threat in the top of the third inning.
Combs, Josh Frederick and Carter Capps combined to pitch 5 2/3 innings of two-run relief. Combs recorded the win and Capps collected his first collegiate save.
Boyd's sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth pulled Francis Marion to within 5-2. Gaeta's pinch-hit sac fly in the home half of the fifth gave Mount Olive a 6-2 lead. Tyler Cappelman's RBI groundout in the top of the sixth trimmed the deficit to 6-3.
All three of the Patriots' runs were unearned as the Trojans committed four errors.
Mount Olive entertains nationally-ranked Conference Carolinas opponent Limestone in a doubleheader at noon on Saturday. The two teams conclude the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.