Diamond Pirates Take Game Three Against USF
April 06, 2003 | Baseball
TAMPA (April 6, 2003) ? Ryan Norwood and Mark Minicozzi combined for six hits to lead East Carolina over South Florida 5-2 Sunday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
The Pirates (21-11-1, 8-4 Conference USA) took two of three games in the weekend series.
Minicozzi's single up the middle in the third inning gave ECU a 2-1 lead. The third baseman then singled with one out in the fifth. He scored when Mike DeJesus tripled off the right-field fence. A Ben Sanderson double scored DeJesus and the Pirates led 4-1.
Norwood hit a solo home run, his eighth of the season, down the left-field line in the eighth.
USF (20-12, 5-5) could manage just single runs in the first and fifth innings.
Mike Cunningham, who was 10-of-15 in the series, doubled down the right-field line to lead off the first and scored when Myron Leslie singled into center field. USF cut its deficit to 4-2 in the fifth when Bryan
Hierlmeier homered to left-center field. It was the sophomore right fielder's fourth of the year.
The Bull offense generated two hits ? a single from Allen Shirley in the eighth and a Cunningham bloop single in the ningth ? the rest of the way.
Travis Rios (5-1) absorbed his first loss. He was touched for four runs (all earned) on eight hits in five innings. He struck out three while walking four.
The winner was Pirate starter Will Brinson (2-1). He scattered seven hits over 6 2/3 innings and allowed both USF runs. Brinson struck out a pair and walked three.
