ECU Falls To Southern Miss In Series Opener
May 02, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Southern Miss hit four home runs, including two two-run home runs by second baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir, to defeat East Carolina in game one of a three-game Conference USA series here Friday night, 6-3.
"They're a good hitting team," said Pirate head coch Randy Mazey. "They scored all six runs on four home runs. We've got to keep the ball down and we didn't do that tonight."
ECU (26-20-1, 12-10) scored all three of its runs in the first inning. After catcher Jake Smith drew a walk to load the bases, Adam Witter hit double that was misjudged by center fielder Jeff Cook and sailed over his head, and allowed all three base runners to score. Witter and Darryl Lawhorn collected two hits each to combine for four of the Pirates' five hits.
USM starter Bob McCrory (8-2) then proceeded to retire the next 16 Pirates in order before giving up another hit. McCrory tossed a complete-game, five hitter and issued three walks, while striking out three others.
First baseman Griff Israel got Southern Miss (37-11, 18-4) on the board with a one-out solo home run in the second. Hoffpauier then hit his first of two in the fourth to tie the game at three.
Hoffpauier struck again in the sixth with another two-run blast to break the tie and give USM a 5-3 lead. Beau Griffin then hit a solo home run in the seventh to tack on the sixth run, the first of his career.
ECU starter Will Brinson (3-2) allowed six earned runs on nine hits, while walking one and striking out four. Freshman Scott Andrews tossed the final three innings to finish the game.
Game two of the series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start here Saturday.
