|
|
|
|
May 31, 2008
Game 14 Box Score
Mount Olive Wins National Championship
SAUGET, ILL. - Top-ranked Mount Olive earned its first national championship with a 6-2 victory over No. 4 ranked Ouachita Baptist Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the NCAA Division II Championships at GCS Ballpark.
Mount Olive went 3-0 in the tournament en route to the championship and finish the season at 58-6. Ouachita Baptist ends its season at 51-16.
"I've been coaching at the college level for 22 years and it's really hard to express what I feel right now," said Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster. "This is a dream come true. We are extremely excited to bring this to Mount Olive."
A two-out error by Tigers' third baseman Rudy Jovanovski in the top of the first inning helped Mount Olive to an early 5-0 lead and the Trojans never looked back.
"We just got off to a slow start today," said Ouachita Baptist head coach Scott Norwood. "They took advantage of our mistakes like we did all week against other teams."
Mount Olive then plated a single run in the fifth inning for a 6-0 lead before Ouachita Baptist got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Casey Hodges (10-1) garnered the win for the Trojans, giving up just two runs on seven hits in eight innings of work. He struck out six.
Trent Lingle (1-1) took the loss, scattering six hits on seven runs in four and one-third innings. He also walked four and struck out three.
The Trojans recorded 12 hits in the win with Josh Harrison going 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Jim Streicher led Ouachita Baptist with three hits and one RBI.
Hodges and Streicher were both named to the all-tournament team along with Destan Makonnen, Justin Pennell and Steve Smith, all of Ouachita Baptist; Rich Rocobaldo, David Cooper, Alex Vertcnik and Casey Hodges, all of Mount Olive; David Adler of Sonoma State and Mike Hallum and Chris Matlock of Central Missouri. Smith was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team
MVP-Steve Smith, Ouachita Baptist University
C-Jim Streicher, Ouachita Baptist University
1B-Destan Makonen, Ouachita Baptist University
2B-David Adler, Sonoma State University
SS-David Cooper, Mount Olive College
3B-Rich Rocobaldo, Mt. Olive College
OF-Justin Pennell, , Ouachita Baptist University
OF-Alex Vertcnik, Mt. Olive College
OF-Jesse Lancaster, Mt. Olive College
DH-Mike Hallum, University of Central Missouri
P-Chris Matlock, University of Central Missouri
P-Casey Hodges, Mt. Olive College
P-Steve Smith, Ouachita Baptist University
-ncaa-
|
|
