April 06, 2006

Boxscore
Courtesy of Mount Olive Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE, NC—Dustin Richardson’s three-run homer capped a six-run seventh inning as Mount Olive broke open a one-run game and defeated St. Andrews 15-6 in non-conference baseball Thursday at Scarborough Field to even the season series at 2-2.

The Trojans, which extended their winning streak to seven, scored 10 of their runs in the final two innings. Thursday’s game does not count towards the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference standings.

Mount Olive (28-11) struck for four runs in the top of the first as Stephen Nordan, Graham Wooten and Kyle Curtis connected on RBI-singles. St. Andrews (18-23) cut the lead in half in the top of the second as the Knights scored a pair of runs on a hit batsman and a walk with the bases loaded.

The Trojans extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth as Richardson led off with a single, stole second and scored on Jesse Lancaster’s two-out single through the left side.

Mount Olive ’s middle infield helped prevent a run in the top of the fifth as the Trojans turned a 6-4-3 double play just before Greg Wrape laced a triple to the gap in right field. After walking the next batter, Trojan reliever Jonathan McClellan (1-0) got out of the inning on a ground out to second.

St. Andrews did cut into the lead in the sixth inning as Jose Rodriguez singled and Michael Eastwood doubled with one out. Rodriguez scored on a ground out and Eastwood came home on Anthony Mehling’s single up the middle to pull the Knights within 5-4. But that was as close as St. Andrews would get.

Jesse Lancaster reached base on a one-out bunt single, stole second and scored on David Cooper’s single. After Lance Martin was hit by a pitch, both runners advanced on a double steal and Cooper scored when the throw from the catcher went over the third baseman’s head.

Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and after a ground out brought home the third run of the inning, Richardson drove a pitch high over the left field fence for his first home run of the season to give Mount Olive an 11-4 lead.

After St. Andrews scored two runs in the top of the eighth, the Trojans struck for four more in the bottom half as Josh Harrison led off the inning with a home run to right and Lance Martin added a two-run single.

Cooper led Mount Olive’s 18-hit attack with a 4-for-5 performance, while Nordan, Richardson, Wooten and Josh Carter had two hits apiece. Richardson finished with a team-high four runs batted in.

McClellan entered the game to start the fourth inning in relief of starter Patrick Ball. McClellan, Ball and Paul Buhrow allowed two runs apiece, while Jordan Arnold retired the side in order in the ninth.

St. Andrews starter Mike Mianulli (1-1) took the loss. Wrape led the Knights at the plate with three hits.

St. Andrews plays host to Chowan this weekend in a three-game non-conference series, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at noon and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.

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