MOC takes King series
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 12, 2012 1:50 PM
MOC Sports Information
MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College wore out King's pitching staff for a season-high 20 hits, and Derek Justice claimed his first collegiate win on the mound during a 14-4 romp Sunday afternoon at Scarborough Field.
The No. 28-ranked Trojans (13-6 overall) improved to 6-2 in Conference Carolinas play and lead Coker (S.C.) College by 21/2 games in the East Division race.
King logged two unearned runs during its first at-bat, but MOC hurler Talton Cherry recovered to retire 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. He permitted just two hits and walked one batter in his four-inning stint.
Justice surrendered a two-run home run to Tornado lead-off hitter Garrett Cook in the fifth inning. It was Cook's league-leading sixth HR of the season and the final two runs that King would score in the three-game weekend series.
Geno Escalante, Jermaine Berry and Bradon Reitano combined for four first-inning RBI to put MOC ahead for good. The Trojans capitalized on a third-inning Tornado error and batted around against starter Danny Laperna, who suffered his second mound loss of the season.
Cameron Sherrer and Bryan Dunlavey each cranked out a run-scoring single during the six-run uprising that gave the Trojans a commanding 10-2 advantage. Antonio Callaway, the reigning Conference Carolinas player-of-the-week, connected on a two-RBI single.
The Trojans added single runs in the fourth through seventh innings as the Tornado (12-8) slipped to 5-4 in the West Division ranks.
Berry and Sherrer joined Mike Mercurio with three hits apiece.
MOC concludes its seven-game home swing with non-conference contests against Virginia State and California (Pa.) University on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.