Coffey, Heyduk spearhead Mount Olive's comebacks against Pfeiffer

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on March 20, 2011 1:51 AM

• Print
• Email

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive played like the No. 1-ranked Division II baseball team in the country Saturday afternoon -- when it had to the most.

Daniel Coffey's eighth-inning home run capped the Trojans' come-from-behind, 7-6 victory in the opener. Dan Heyduk's walk-off RBI single sealed a 4-3, eight-inning comeback in the nightcap at Scarborough Field.

It was a rematch of last year's Conference Carolinas tournament championship won by MOC.

"Those were two great games," said Trojans' head coach Carl Lancaster. "We were tested. We got some key hits. We could have very easily lost them both and we won them both. That says a lot for our kids. They hung in there and battled.

"Hopefully, our kids can understand it's never over until it's over."

The Trojans (22-3 overall, 9-1 CC) scored four sixth-inning runs, including a three-run homer from Joseph Westbrook, to tie the game at 5-5 in game one. The Falcons retook the lead, 6-5, on Aaron Sharpe's RBI bloop single in the eighth inning.

Coffey's two-RBI homer to right field put the Trojans ahead to stay in the bottom half of the eighth.

MOC right-hander Carter Capps surrendered five runs (three earned) on seven hits, recorded eight strikeouts and walked one in six innings. The North Lenoir alum settled for the no-decision, and remained 15-0 during his collegiate career on the mound.

"Carter's command was just really not good," said Lancaster. "We were calling fastballs in and he was missing away. Everybody doesn't go out there every day and have their best effort. The team supported him and got him off the hook."

Pfeiffer seized a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning in game two.

Jacob Yates followed with an RBI single.

The Falcons loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning, but Mount Olive reliever David Combs got a double-play grounder to avoid any trouble. Combs threw four-plus innings in relief to get the win.

Mike Knox led off MOC's half of the seventh inning with a double and later scored on an error. Westbrook's two-run double into the right field corner tied the game at 3-3 before Heyduk's heroics.

The teams conclude their series today. First pitch is 1 p.m.