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Clemson Regional Week
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LeClair's boys quash
seven-run Elon rally
<<< Box Score >>>
By PETE IACOBELLI
AP SPORTS WRITER
CLEMSON, SC (AP) — Warren Gaspar's RBI
single in the seventh inning broke a 7-all tie and got
East Carolina back on the road to a 13-7 victory against Elon on Friday
in a wild start to the Clemson NCAA regional.
The Pirates (42-18-1) were cruising, ahead 6-0 after
two innings led by Darryl Lawhorn's 18th and 19th
home runs. Starter Sam Narron, the nephew of Texas
Rangers skipper Jerry Narron, was also on his game,
giving up three hits through six innings.
But the Phoenix, in their first NCAA tournament
appearance, rallied to tie things with a 7-run seventh
that was capped by Jim Swenson's grand slam to right
center.
Instead of acting stunned, East Carolina came right
back. The Pirates got a single from Ryan Jones, a
sacrifice by pinch-hitter Ben Sanderson and Gaspar's
fourth hit of the game for the go-ahead run. Jedd
Sorenson followed with an RBI double and the Pirates
scored three more times in the inning to advance.
Elon (34-22) will play Georgia Southern in an elimination game Saturday
morning. The Southern Conference champion Eagles were pummeled by
top-seeded Clemson 15-1 in Friday's second game.
Lawhorn, a freshman, set East Carolina's single season
record with 100th hit. He finished with five RBIs.
Reliever Neal Sears (8-3) worked the last 2⅔
innings for the victory.
Adam Acosta (3-4) was the most effective of Elon's
five pitchers, but took the loss.
East Carolina's win was witnessed by coach Keith
LeClair, who has been fighting Lou Gehrig's disease
since last summer. LeClair can no longer speak and
has limited movement from the degenerative illness,
which attacks the body's muscles.
He watched from a van next to the first-base dugout,
shielded by a blue tailgating tent.
Clemson coach Jack Leggett, who coached LeClair at
Western Carolina, visited with his stricken friend
before the game. Leggett had his team stop by during
the ECU-Elon contest.
When the game ended, the Pirates rushed across the field to visit
LeClair.
<<< Box Score >>>
Copyright 2002
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net
contributed to this report.
02/23/2007 10:44 AM |
