Mount Olive softball continues strong start
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 26, 2012 1:52 AM
MOC SPORTS INFORMATION
MOUNT OLIVE -- Christie Wright celebrated her birthday with a one-hitter and Kalie Smith hit her first collegiate home run as Mount Olive defeated Virginia Union 10-2 in game one of a non-conference softball doubleheader Saturday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The Trojans scored seven runs in the first two innings and Kayla Voorhees' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth clinched the run-rule victory.
The Trojans took the second game 8-0 as Lauren Smith tossed her third consecutive shutout. Jesse Crist's two-run single capped a five-run fourth inning and the Trojans won it in the fifth on Danielle Mitchell's walk-off triple.
In the first game, Voorhees scored the Trojans' first run on a double steal and Mount Olive (10-2) capitalized on three errors to add three unearned runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-0 lead. The Trojans added three more runs in the second inning on back-to-back two-out doubles by Katie Moore and Rebekah McDaniel, followed by rbi-singles by Wright and Jesse Crist.
Kalie Smith led off the bottom of the third with a frozen rope home run over the left field fence to extend the Trojans' lead to 8-0.
Virginia Union pitcher Quincy Lewis (0-6), who went the distance in both games, kept Mount Olive scoreless through the first two innings of game two. Lewis benefited from defensive play by third baseman Caldwell, who had three assists and two putouts on the Trojans' first seven outs.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lewis retired the first two batters on first-pitch groundouts before issuing a walk to Voorhees. Mitchell then lined a ball deep down the right field line that landed just fair for the game winner. Mount Olive embarks on its annual spring break trip to Florida next week as the Trojans play four doubleheaders in four days against Sunshine State Conference opponents. Mount Olive begins play Monday at St. Petersburg against Eckerd. Game time is 4 p.m.