Mount Olive completes sweep of Barton

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 27, 2011 1:51 AM

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MOC Sports Information

WILSON -- Pete Levitt allowed six hits over six innings, and No. 1-ranked Mount Olive College defeated Barton College, 8-1, on Saturday to complete a three-game sweep in their Conference Carolinas baseball series.

Jeremy Hall and David Combs combined for three innings of scoreless relief behind Levitt, who picked up his fifth win of the season in seven decisions. Mount Olive (27-3 overall, 13-1 CC) has won 12 of 13 meetings against Barton since capturing the NCAA Division II College World Series crown in 2008.

Dan Hayduk cranked out three hits in cool, cloudy conditions. Ryan Faison, Jason Simone, Jacob Rogers and Joseph Westbrook added two hits apiece. Simone and Daniel Coffey supplied two RBI apiece.

The Trojans rattled off three first-inning runs.

Faison singled through the left side against Barton starter Bentley Massey, who yielded 10 hits on the day. Rogers' two-out single moved Faison into scoring position, and Faison trotted home on Hayduk's base knock down the left-field line.

Massey walked Nick Gaeta on four straight pitches, which loaded the bases for Coffey, who hit a little flare down the right-field line to plate Rogers and Hayduk.

MOC added a single run in the fourth.

Barton avoided the shutout with a run in fifth.

The Trojans pushed four runs across in the eighth and ninth innings combined to remain atop the league standings. The Bulldogs (12-20) dropped to 5-8 in conference play.

Mount Olive hurlers Curtis Hudson and Carter Capps each tossed a complete-game shutout Friday against the Bulldogs, who stranded 28 runners in the three-game set, including 13 on Saturday.

Hudson surrendered seven hits, struck out seven and walked three on 134 pitches. He retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, and did not allow a hit after the sixth inning.

Faison's two-out, three-RBI double highlighted a five-run, seventh-inning uprising. The Trojans led 1-0 through six innings.

Capps allowed five hits and got offensive support in four of seven innings. Gaeta broke open a close game with a two-run single in the fifth and Michael Knox belted his nation-leading 14th home run of the season.

Capps (6-0) retired the side in order only once, but never allowed more than one baserunner in any inning. Only two baserunners advanced past first base. Capps improved to 16-0 in his collegiate career.

The Trojans entertain Virginia State on Wednesday, and travel to Belmont Abbey for a three-game showdown in Conference Carolinas play.