Late Inning Rally Propels ECU Past Charlotte
March 23, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C.? Mark Minicozzi's bases loaded bloop single with two outs in the ninth broke a 7-7 tie and lifted East Carolina to an 8-7 victory over Charlotte in Conference USA baseball action here Sunday afternoon.
Eight of the Pirates nine starters collected at least one hit with Ryan Jones, Darryl Lawhorn, Mike DeJesus and Minicozzi recording two hits each. Minicozzi and John Poppert also drove in a pair of runs each. The Pirates registered over 10 hits for a second consecutive game, 12, and remained unbeaten when doing so, 10-0-1.
Charlotte relief pitcher Justin Brown (1-1) suffered the loss allowing one run in one inning of work with two hits and a base on balls.
"We are starting to play with some confidence, swing the bats, and hit with men on base," said Pirate head coach Randy Mazey. "Poppert's hit with two outs in the eighth was huge."
With the Pirates trailing by two in the eighth, Poppert singled with runners at second and third to tie the game.
After yielding a leadoff single in the ninth to George Sandel, Greg Bunn struck out two of the next four batters he faced to keep the game knotted at seven. Bunn (2-1) struck out four batters and allowed just one hit in the final two innings to record his second win of the year.
East Carolina (16-7-1, 4-2 CUSA) scored in each of the first three innings and held a 5-1 lead after three innings of play. Lawhorn drove in Jones with an RBI-double in the first.
The Pirates then scored two runs each in the second and third inning. DeJesus plated the first run of the second frame on a 49er error and Jamie Paige followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Luke Cherry.
An RBI-single by Smith and solo home run from Mincozzi scored two more runs in the ECU third.
Charlotte (7-11, 1-4 CUSA) scored a run in the third and then added three runs in the fourth. Adam Willard, Brad Erwin and Adam Floyd each drove in a run in the inning as the 49ers collected four hits in fourth.
After George Sandel led off the fifth with a single, Randall Poplin put the 49ers on top with a two-run home to left field. Charlotte then tacked on another run in the eighth for a 7-5 lead.
The Pirates return to action on Tuesday, March 25 against Campbell. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 7 p.m. at Harrington Field.
