Pirate Baseball Completes Sweep of Western Carolina
February 15, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Three Pirate pitchers combined on a five-hitter as East Carolina completed a three-game sweep of Western Carolina with a 2-1 win on Saturday at Harrington Field.
The Pirates (3-0) scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning. With two outs in the frame, Ryan Norwood hit a solo home run to left field to tie the game, 1-1. Mark Minicozzi followed with a single, then came around to score when Catamount third baseman Chris Davis threw wildly to first on a ball hit by ECU's Jake Smith.
The Catamounts (1-5) drew first blood in the top of the first when Wayne Kilmer drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an RBI single from Todd Buchanan. That 1-0 lead held up until the Pirates' sixth inning rally.
The game was a pitching dual between ECU starter Scott Greene and WCU's Seth Foster (0-2) for much of the afternoon. Greene lasted 5.1 innings, yielding three hits and two walks while striking out three before being lifted after reaching a pitch count limit. Foster, meanwhile, scattered six hits over six complete innings and allowed two runs, one unearned. He struck out four and walked none.
"Our starting pitching has been good so far this season and our defense has been solid," said ECU head coach Randy Mazey. "Everyday you show up and expect to win and that's what we've done thus far. We are not putting the ball in play as much as I would like, but those things you can work through and we will."
Ashley Capps (1-0) was credited with the victory after pitching two-thirds of an inning in relief of Greene. Glenn Tucker tossed three innings of one-hit, shutout relief to gain his first save.
Norwood also had a double in the eighth inning to complete a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
Buchanan was 2-for-3 for the Catamounts.
East Carolina, which is ranked No. 31 in the latest NCBWA poll, will entertain in-state rival North Carolina State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Harrington Field.
