Penny Pitches ECU To Series-Opening Victory
April 12, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Senior right-hander Davey Penny struck out a career-high 13 batters and tossed his second complete game of the season to lead East Carolina to a 3-2 victory over Memphis in Conference USA baseball action here Saturday afternoon in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
With the victory East Carolina improved to 22-11-1 overall and moved into a first place tie with Southern Miss and Houston in C-USA with a 9-4 league mark. Memphis fell to 11-22 overall and 3-10 in league play.
Penny (4-2) retired the first 10 batters he faced before yielding a double to Michael Lewis. Penny scattered seven hits while walking just one.
The Pirates scored a pair of runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. After issuing a leadoff walk to Luke Cherry, Memphis starter Stephen Gostowski's pick-off attempt sailed past the first baseman and allowed Cherry to go to third base. Ben Sanderson then pushed a sacrifice bunt along the first base line to plate Cherry. Following consecutive singles by Jamie Paige and Mike DeJesus, Darryl Lawhorn lifted a fly ball into left field to score Paige from third.
Adam Witter gave ECU a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with his first home run of a season, a solo shot to center field.
Memphis scored single runs in the fourth and eighth innings as Lewis and Kurt Welch each recorded RBI singles.
Gostowski (1-3) suffered the loss for Memphis, giving up three runs on six hits in six innings of work.
The teams will face off in game two of today's doubleheader tonight at 7 p.m.
