CARY Pete Levitt is supposed to be Mount Olive's No. 2 pitcher, but Saturday evening he pitched like an ace as the Trojans won their opener, 3-1 over Millersville (Pa.), in the NCAA Division II Championship at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
Levitt was perfect for six innings. He ended up throwing for seven innings, surrendering three hits and one unearned run. He said getting the opportunity to start the championship opener was a second chance for him.
"Last time in junior college I pitched in the World Series and didn't do well," Levitt said. "This was just so important because our goal all year was to win this World Series, not just get here. I was fighting every at-bat."
"This was just an outstanding win; that other team would just not go away," Mount Olive coach Carl Lancaster said. "And Pete came up with his best game of the year for us."
Junior third baseman Jacob Rogers, a .427 hitter, put the Trojans in the lead for good in the top of the third with a two-run triple off the wall in left-center. Shortstop Ryan Faison and leftfielder Jason Simone singled in front of Rogers.
Designated hitter Michael Knox, playing with a broken left hand, upped the lead to 3-0 in the sixth with a line drive homer to left. It was his 23rd of the season. He currently ranks second in the country for home runs at the Division II level.
"I struck out the previous at-bat on a couple of curveballs, so I went to the plate looking for one, got it and hit it," Knox said. "I had to watch my team play in the regional, but they played great. Just to getting to play now is a blessing."
Levitt (10-2) got the start in place of sophomore Carter Capps, who Lancaster was giving extra rest after Capps threw 180 pitches in the regional last week. After David Combs replaced Levitt in the seventh, Lancaster did call on Capps to shut the door in the ninth.
"Carter brought us here, but he's on the bubble of being a high draft pick," Lancaster said. "If I overpitch him and he drops in the draft, I couldn't live with myself."
Capps (14-0) will be ready to go at 5 p.m. Monday when the Trojans face Winona State, a 4-3 winner Saturday over Central Missouri.