Trojans complete sweep of Belmont Abbey

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on March 4, 2013 1:47 PM

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MOC Sports Information

BELMONT -- Alex Regan took a perfect game into the fifth inning and withstood a late rally as nationally second-ranked Mount Olive defeated No. 18 Belmont Abbey 7-4 in game one of a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader Sunday at Belmont Abbey. The Trojans used three sacrifice flies to help build a seven-run lead.

The Trojans completed a sweep of the doubleheader and the three-game series with a 14-4 victory in game two. Geno Escalante and Mike Mercurio powered a 16-hit attack with four hits apiece and Mount Olive (16-1 overall, 5-1 Conference Carolinas) gave starting pitcher Chris Orphanos a 10-run lead after three innings. Escalante tied a school record with three doubles in the contest, which was called after seven innings due to darkness.

The three-game sweep is Mount Olive's second in three weeks against a nationally ranked team. The Trojans swept then-No. 19 Le Moyne two weeks ago at Scarborough Field.

In the opener, Regan (4-1) retired the side in order in each of the first four innings, striking out four consecutive batters during the first and second innings. He retired the first two batters in the fifth before his bid for a perfect game was spoiled on a fly ball to left lost in the sun that was ruled a double. Regan finished with five strikeouts and no walks.

Mount Olive used Daniel Oliver's sacrifice fly in the top of the second to take an early lead and Bryan Dunlavey's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to start a five-run fourth inning. Mercurio, who had missed three straight games prior to the Belmont Abbey series, capped the inning with a two-run single. Bradon Reitano added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to extend the Trojans' lead to 7-0.

Belmont Abbey (11-4-1, 3-4-1) got on the scoreboard with two runs in the sixth as Anthony Dimino's infield single brought home a run and a Mount Olive error led to an unearned run. Regan retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh in the scheduled seven-inning contest before John Pilla kept the inning and the game alive with a single. Levi Wright followed with a two-run homer and the next Crusader reached on an error. But Regan got a flyout to right for his second complete game of the season.

Reitano had two of Mount Olive's nine hits as eight different Trojans had a hit and every Trojan either scored or drove in a run.

In game two, Mercurio kept the first inning alive with a two-out single and Escalante followed with a double. Both runners came home on Jermaine Berry's two-run single and Berry eventually scored on a throwing error to give Mount Olive a 3-0 lead.

Mercurio's two-run single highlighted a three-run second inning and Mount Olive capitalized on two errors and a wild pitch on a third strike in a four-run third inning to give the Trojans a 10-0 lead.

Orphanos (4-0) struck out the side in the second inning and recorded three strikeouts in the fifth inning. Talton Cherry took over with two on and one out in the sixth, and retired both batters to end the inning. Zach Bernard pitched a scoreless seventh to close out the game. Orphanos finished with eight strikeouts.

Mount Olive plays host to Wingate for a two-game non-conference series Tuesday and Wednesday at Scarborough Field. Game time is 4 p.m. both days.

Softball

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Rebekah McDaniel, Katie Moore and Beth Overman all homered as Mount Olive concluded play in the Mid-South Softball Classic with a 6-2 victory over Tusculum Sunday at Spartanburg, S.C. Carly White tossed a complete game seven-hitter for the win.

Earlier in the day, the Trojans took nationally 10th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State to extra innings before falling 7-2 in eight innings. Overman and Jennifer Jones homered as the Trojans belted five home runs on the day.

Mount Olive (11-5) was scheduled to play two games Saturday, but rain canceled play.

Mens tennis

MOUNT OLIVE -- Edgar Bub and Brahm Moolman both improved to 4-0 on the season with straight-set singles wins and nationally 50th-ranked Mount Olive remained unbeaten as a team with an 8-1 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan in non-conference men's tennis Sunday at Walker Tennis Center. Jack Frampton and Akio Mariano also won in straight sets, while Henrik Falkenburg won in a tie-breaker.

Mount Olive (4-0) swept all three doubles matches for the fourth consecutive match to take a 3-0 lead. Bub won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 singles and Moolman won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 5 singles to clinch the team win.

West Virginia Wesleyan (2-2) avoided the shutout with a tie-breaker win at No. 3 singles.

Womens tennis

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive suffered its first loss of the season, falling to nationally 42nd-ranked Erskine 9-0 in Conference Carolinas women's tennis Saturday at Walker Tennis Center. The Trojans were shut out for the first time this season.

Mount Olive falls to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while Erskine improves to 5-2 and 4-0.

Roxanne Chouinard played in Mount Olive's closest singles match at No. 3 singles. Chouinard rallied from a first-set loss with a 6-4 win in the second set before falling 10-8 in a 10-point pro set.

Womens lacrosse

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive reeled off 13 unanswered goals en route to the program's second victory, a 15-3, non-conference women's lacrosse decision over Young Harris College Sunday afternoon at Amon Field.

Eleven different Trojans found the back of the net in the team's highest scoring performance since the season-opener. Mount Olive (2-3) got three goals from junior Kara Lyon and two apiece from Candace Corkin and Maddie Biggar during the run.

Showing off their passing skills, the Trojans recorded 13 assists on their 15 goals, including three each from Alanna Bauche and Caitlin Sabadish and two each from Laurel Engh and Alysha Kulka.

Mount Olive returns to Conference Carolinas action today when the Trojans travel to Erskine.