Big Inning Propels Pirates Past A&T
March 18, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Ryan Norwood's grand slam home run in the bottom of the eighth highlighted a nine-run inning as East Carolina defeated North Carolina A&T (3-19), 12-2, at Harrington Field Tuesday night.
Holding a 3-1 lead entering the eighth, ECU (14-6-1) sent 12 batters to the plate during the frame to break open the game. In addition to Norwood's home run, Ryan Jones, Jon Henry Kail, Kelly Hodges and Brian Cavanaugh each drove in a run during the frame. Norwood's home run and Mike DeJesus' double were the only extra base hits during the six-hit inning for the Pirates.
"Give our guys a lot of credit, they got a sense of urgency and found a way to win the game," said Pirate head coach Randy Mazey. "But we've got to figure out a way to score runs in the first five innings."
Freshman Jason Neitz (1-0) made his first collegiate start on the mound and earned his first victory, tossing 5.2 shutout innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Aggie starter Toby Middleton (1-6) suffered the loss, giving three runs on six hits with five base on balls in 5.2 innings of work.
Despite allowing a base runner in five of six innings pitched, Neitz was able to get out of several jams. After yielding singles to the first two batters he faced, Neitz got a ground ball out and a strikeout before catching Price Stevens trying to steal home.
Neitz picked off a runner in the third and used strikeouts in the fourth and fifth to keep the Aggies off the scoreboard. However, with two runners on in the sixth, Neitz was lifted in favor of freshman Kevin Rhodes who promptly struck out the first batter he faced to end the threat. Rhodes tossed 1.1 innings, while Jason Tourangeau pitched the final two.
The Pirates scored the game's first run in bottom of the second. With John Poppert standing on third base, Luke Cherry on at first, and two outs, Kevin O'Sullivan singled through the middle to plate Poppert. O'Sullivan then swiped second to put a pair of runners in scoring position, but the Pirates were unable to do further damage in the frame.
East Carolina also put two runners on in the third, fourth and sixth innings but were unable to capitalize on the scoreboard until the sixth. Poppert and Jon Henry Kail drew back-to-back walks to start the sixth and later scored on a two-out single back through the box by Jamie Paige.
Still clinging to its three-run lead in the seventh, the Pirates came up big defensively on one play to maintain the momentum. After a bases loaded, one out single by Stevens drove in the Aggies' first run, Jones made a diving catch in center field to save a run. Ben Teasley was then called out a third base on an appeal play for leaving to early.
East Carolina returns to action Wednesday night at Campbell. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Buies Creek.
