MOC tops Clarion baseball
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 8, 2011 1:47 PM
MOC Sports Information
MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College strung together back-to-back, seven-run innings and pounded out a come-from-behind, 17-4 non-conference baseball win over Clarion (Pa.) University on a sun-splashed Monday afternoon.
Dan Hayduk's fourth-inning, two-RBI double and Jason Simone's fifth-inning, two-run homer lifted the No. 5-ranked Trojans to their 17th victory of the season. Mike Knox batted 4-for-6, including his team-leading 13th homer of the year.
Clarion (0-3) seized a three-run advantage in the second inning.
Mount Olive (17-3 overall) loaded the bases in the fourth inning with no outs. Daniel Coffey doubled, reached third on a sacrifice attempt and tallied the game-tying run on Ryan Faison's RBI single to right field.
Tyler Smith, who drew a walk after Coffey's double, trotted home on a force out to give MOC the lead for good, 4-3. Knox cranked out an RBI double, Jacob Rogers supplied an RBI single and both batters crossed the plate on Hayduk's double.
Joseph Westbrook's RBI groundout capped the uprising.
Clarion scratched in the fourth and MOC put the game away with another run-scoring outburst.
Trojan starter Curtis Hudson (3-0) worked five innings, retiring the side in order in the first and fourth innings. He gave up six hits, struck out five and walked none. Four MOC relievers pitched one scoreless inning each, retiring 11 of 13 batters. David Combs struck out the side in the eighth inning.
Mount Olive travels to Savannah, Ga., for the Savannah Invitational hosted by Armstrong Atlantic State University. The Trojans face California (Pa.) University at 6 p.m. Wednesday and take on No. 21-ranked Kutztown (Pa.) University at noon Thursday.