March 25, 2006

Game 1; Game 2

MOUNT OLIVE, NC— Sophomore Mika Tanji (Honolulu, HI) led visiting St. Andrews with a 3-for-6 (.500) day, but Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference rival Mount Olive spoiled the trip with 8-0 and 9-1 victories on Saturday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field.

Krystal Bourne tossed a three-hit shutout and Bailey Harrell drilled her 10th home run of the season as Mount Olive defeated St. Andrews 8-0 in game one. The Trojans completed the sweep with a 9-1 win in the nightcap as Georgette Richardson and Rigil Gruca belted solo home runs and Morgan Whaley delivered a game-ending two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.

Mount Olive (18-19 overall, 2-8 CVAC) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first on Georgette Richardson’s two-out RBI-double to left-center field. Rigil Gruca followed with a run-scoring single to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.

Bourne (8-6) got out of a jam in the first inning as St. Andrews stranded a pair of baserunners. Senior Bet Smith (Lexington, SC) led off the top of the second with a single for the Knights, but Bourne answered by striking out the side on a total of nine pitches.

The Trojans struck for four more runs in the bottom of the second as Erin Wilson singled and Tiffanie Pittman doubled with one out. One out later, Melissa Bright drove in both runs with a double to the gap in left-center.

Harrell then gave Mount Olive a 6-0 lead, driving the first pitch over the left field fence.

Mount Olive added single runs in the third and fourth innings on Wilson’s RBI-ground out and Richardson’s sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a run-rule victory.

Bourne struck out six and retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced.

St. Andrews (1-17, 0-6) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Tanji led off the game with a double and eventually scored on a junior Devane Rushing (Monroe, NC) sacrifice fly.

Richardson led off the bottom of the second with her third home run of the season to tie the game 1-1. The Trojans took the lead for good in the third as Pittman reached second on an error and eventually scored on an error on a relay.

Gruca’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth, her first of the season, extended the Trojans’ lead to 3-1. Mount Olive added two runs in the fifth on Richardson’s RBI-double and Whaley’s RBI-single.

Mount Olive scored two runs in the sixth on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch, and Whaley ended the game with a bases-loaded single up the middle.

Shauna Cowdrey (7-8) struck out four and allowed four hits in four innings pitched. She got out of a jam in the top of the third, ending the inning on a force out at third after a 20-minute rain delay. Christine Ermer retired all six batters she faced for her second save of the season.

St. Andrews travels Wilson, NC, for a CVAC doubleheader against Barton on Tuesday at 1 p.m.

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