Brandt corrals Herd as ECU sails

From electronic and staff reports
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East Carolina jumped on Marshall for five early runs and Kevin Brandt handcuffed the Thundering Herd on six hits and one run over eight innings as the Pirates coasted to an 8-2 Conference USA victory Friday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU scored an unearned run in the first and chased Marshall starter Lance Elder (1-5) with four more scores in the second to give Brandt (6-4) all the margin he needed to achieve his 25th career win.

A key hit in the second inning outburst was a two-run single down the right field line by sophomore outfielder Ben Fultz. The Pirates (29-16-1, 11-7-1 C-USA) earned another run in the sixth on three singles and a balk, and they realized their biggest lead at 8-0 when Chase McDonald blasted a two-run homer to right field in the seventh.

Brandt kept the Herd (15-29, 3-13) penned up until giving up a pair of walks and a run-scoring double in the eighth. Altogether, the senior southpaw issued four walks but picked off three of the beneficiaries before they could do damage.

Sophomore righthander Austin Chrismon pitched the ninth for the Pirates and surrendered a run on three hits. But for Marshall, it was too little, too late.

East Carolina banged out 14 hits overall, led by sophomore designated hitter Drew Reynolds and junior outfielder John Wooten with three hits apiece.

Senior third baseman Corey Thompson, sophomore shortstop Jack Reinheimer and McDonald, a sophomore first baseman, each collected two hits for the Pirates.

Eric Semeniuk, a senior outfielder, was the lone Marshall player to hit safely twice.

The teams meet again on Saturday (2 p.m.) with ECU junior lefthander Tyler Joyner (5-2) expected to go against sophomore rightie Aaron Blair (1-7).

Junior righthander Jharel Cotton (8-0) and Marshall senior leftie Mike Mason (4-5) are the projected starters when the series wraps up on Sunday (1 p.m.)

PAGE UPDATED 05/05/12 02:46 AM.

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