- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- MOC Homepage
- Recruiting Questionnaire
- Multimedia
- Athletics Directory
- Athletics News
- MOC Awards Banquet
- Athletic Training
- Athletics Facilities
- Cheerleading
- Trojan Club
- Camps
- Hall of Fame
- SAAC
Athletic News
04/11/2009 -
Nine-Run Second Inning Propels Trojans Past Limestone 17-4
Back-to-back two-run doubles by Alex Vertcnik and Rich Racobaldo highlighted a nine-run second inning as Mount Olive ended regular season play on a six-game winning streak with a 17-4 victory over Limestone in Conference Carolinas baseball Saturday at Scarborough Field. With the win, the Trojans are assured of a top three finish in the regular season standings and either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Tournament.
Mount Olive (26-16 overall, 12-6 Conference Carolinas) trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the second, but the Trojans took the lead for good after sending the first seven batters to the plate before recording an out. Jonathan Smith led off with a single and scored on Kevin Kearney’s double. After a walk to Joseph Westbrook, Tyler Smith’s rbi-single brought home Kearney to tie the game 3-3.
Dylan Holton walked to load the bases and after a Limestone pitching change, Vertcnik lined an opposite-field double to left to bring in two runs and put Mount Olive ahead to stay 5-3. Racobaldo followed with an opposite-field double to right-center to drive in Holton and Vertcnik. Racobaldo advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the seventh run of the inning on Airlon Vinson’s rbi-groundout, the first out of the inning.
Limestone right fielder Aldo Mendez robbed Jesse Lancaster of a hit with a diving catch on a shallow fly ball, but Jonathan Smith kept the inning alive with his second single of the inning. Kearney drew a walk and both runners came home on Westbrook’s double to extend the Trojans’ lead to 10-3.
Tyler Smith, the 13th batter of the inning, drew a walk to reach base for the second time in the inning. Holton represented the 14th batter, but Westbrook was picked off second to end the inning.
Jonathan Smith singled in a run in the third and Vertcnik’s rbi-double highlighted a three-run fourth inning. Lancaster led off a three-run fifth inning with his second home run of the series and fifth of the season as Mount Olive built the lead to 17-3.
Mount Olive matched a school record with nine doubles in the game, including two apiece by Vertcnik and Westbrook. Jonathan Smith led the Trojans’ 19-hit attack with four hits. Every Trojan starter had at least one hit.
Patrick Ball, one of six Trojan seniors honored prior to the game, started and pitched two innings. Craig Beasley (2-1) pitched three innings of scoreless relief and was awarded the win. Kyle Jones threw two innings and senior Ryan Kussmaul pitched the final two innings, allowing a walk in two scoreless innings.
Joining Ball and Kussmaul for pregame Senior Day honors were Racobaldo, Vertcnik, Andy Hilliard and Paul Novicki. Hilliard took over at first base in the sixth inning. Novicki, the Trojans’ starting pitcher Friday in game one, came in as a pinch-hitter in the eighth for his first collegiate at-bat. Novicki hit into a force play, then tagged up from second to third on a fly out.
Limestone (25-19, 9-9) overcame an early 1-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the second. Tim Welsh and Mendez had rbi-doubles in the inning and Adam Vafides added a run-scoring single. Mendez’s double almost brought two runs home, but Trojan shortstop Racobaldo relayed centerfielder Westbrook’s throw to the plate and Tyler Smith tagged Greg Dailey out to end the inning.
Joseph Moloney hit a solo home run in the sixth for the Saints’ fifth home run of the series.
Michael McAbee (4-3), the first of six Limestone pitchers, took the loss. Relievers George Hardin (three innings) and Jordan Robinson (one inning) combined to hold Mount Olive scoreless over the final four innings.
Mount Olive can finish in second place in the conference standings if Erskine gets at least one win in its doubleheader against Barton Saturday. A Barton sweep puts the Bulldogs in second place and Mount Olive in third. Belmont Abbey, which concluded conference play last weekend, already clinched the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Mount Olive is off until Thursday when the 2009 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament gets underway in Wilson, N.C. The Trojans could face any of four teams in the first round. Mount Olive has won the conference tournament three consecutive years and four of the last five years. The tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.