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Pirates take see-saw fracas
From staff and electronic reports
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Senior outfielder Philip Clark and junior first baseman
Chase McDonald each had a pair of hits and drove in three runs as East
Carolina came from behind three times for an 11-9 victory over UNC-Greensboro
Tuesday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
In a wild and wooly game highlighted by erratic
pitching, the teams marched 13 hurlers to the mound who collectively hit
five batters and dispensed 15 walks, three wild pitches and two balks.
After shaky performances by starter Andy Smithmyer and
relievers Dylan Dickens and Tyler Bolton, the Pirates turned to Jake Harris
and Drew Reynolds over the last three innings. The pair issued no free
passes to first base and combined to tame the Spartans (6-4) enough to
enable ECU to gain a lead that would stick.
Harris was dinged for a home run by Benigno Marrero in
the seventh that gave UNCG a 9-8 advantage. But the senior southpaw settled
down for the rest of his two-inning stint, giving the Pirates a chance to
push across three decisive runs and hand Harris (1-0) his first victory of
the season.
The key hits that rescued Harris were a two-run single
by McDonald and an infield RBI single by sophomore pinch-hitter Nick
Thompson in the bottom of the seventh.
Story continues after the following picture.
Chase McDonald follows through after a single that drove
in the go-ahead runs in the 7th inning. (Photo: W.A. Myatt)
Reynolds took over the mound duties to start the ninth.
The junior designated hitter-turned-closer surrendered a pair of hits but
struck out three to seal the outcome and pick up his fourth save.
Dylan Thomas, the fifth of eight Spartan pitchers, took
the loss after being roughed up for three runs on three hits, a walk and two
hit batsmen in 2/3 of an inning of work spanning parts of the fifth and
sixth frames.
ECU out-hit UNCG 15-11.
After starting the season 0-3, the Pirates have won
seven of eight, including their last four in a row.
East Carolina (7-4) will take a bus
ride to Norfolk today to challenge Old Dominion at 3 p.m. The Monarch (6-4)
dropped a 7-6 decision at Richmond Tuesday afternoon. |
