February 24, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Junior Rich Racobalbo (Marlton, N.J.) hit two home runs to help lead No. 2 nationally ranked Mount Olive College to a 11-2 Conference Carolinas baseball victory over host St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Sunday afternoon at Scotland High School’s McCoy Field (due to field construction at SAPC’s Clark Field).

The Trojans (16-1 Overall; 3-0 Conference Carolinas) extended their win streak to 14 games after complete the three-game series sweep of the Knights (4-11; 0-6).

MOC ripped 11 hits including four doubles and three home runs. Senior Jason Sherrer (Mesa, Ariz.) had the Trojans other home run.

Mount Olive grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Dylan Holton (Nova Scotia, Canada) had a single through the right-side of the infield and stole second. Holton later scored on a wild pitch.

St. Andrews catapulted into the lead on back-to-back solo jacks by senior shortstop Tyler Wolfe (Southern Pines, N.C.) and junior right fielder J.T. Maguire (Jarrettsville, Md.). Both Wolfe’s blast to left-center and Maguire’s bomb to center were their first home runs in a St. Andrews uniform.

The Trojans regained a one-run lead, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the fifth. Holton drove in senior David Cooper (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) with a double to in the left field gap. Cooper was hit by a pitch and stole second before scoring on Holton’s double, who later scored on an RBI-groundout by junior Alex Vertcnik (Waukesha, Wis.).

MOC extended its lead to 6-2 with three more runs in the sixth. Racobaldo connected on a two-run homer to right field. Sophomore Jesse Lancaster (Goldsboro, N.C.) followed Racobaldo’s home run with a double to left field and then scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Anthony Williams (Williamston, N.C.).

Cooper increased the Trojans lead to five runs with another sacrifice fly in the eighth. Cooper had two of Mount Olive’s six stolen bases.

The Trojans pulled away to the nine-run victory with four more runs in the ninth. Sherrer drilled a three-run homer to left field followed by a monstrous solo shot to left by Racobalbo.

St. Andrews was held hitless in the final six innings. Senior first baseman T.J. Chrusch (Fleetwood, Pa.) had the Knights other hit with a single to center in the second. Junior Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) reached base three times for SAPC after being hit by a pitch and drawing two walks.

Senior leftie Michael Williams (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) improved to 3-0 on the season in the start for MOC. Williams allowed two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings of work while striking out three. Senior Todd Jeffreys (Hope Mills, N.C.) and junior Patrick Ball (New Bern, N.C.) were perfect in 3 1/3 innings of combined relief for Williams.

In his first collegiate start, freshman right-handed Chris Dobbins (Winston-Salem, N.C.) tossed a gutsy 113-pitch performance allowing six runs on five hits and seven walks over 6.0 innings.

St. Andrews will next play non-conference Wingate University on Tuesday.