Long Ball Lifts Pirates To Victory
May 09, 2003 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Ryan Norwood hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to break a 8-8 tie and lift East Carolina to an 11-8 win over UAB in Conference USA baseball here Friday night. Norwood finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs, two home runs and two runs scored.
"Our team is coming up big right now," said Pirate head coach Randy Mazey. "This is the best baseball we've played all season. We've developed a set lineup and we're letting them swing the bats."
The Pirates pounded out season-high 17 hits, including four home runs, as all nine starters each collected a base hit. Seven of the players recorded multiple hits with Norwood and Jamie Paige gathering three hits each.
Senior Neal Sears (4-4) held the Blazers scoreless over the final three innings to earn the victory. Sears gave up just one hit and struck out four in the final one-third of the game. Cody Cillo (5-5) suffered the loss after coming on in the eighth with the tying run in scoring position.
ECU (28-20-1, 15-10 CUSA) scored five runs in the eighth to rally from a three-run deficit capped by a Norwood's game winner. Ben Sanderson scored the tying run on a wild pitch from Cillo, after Ryan Jones was issued an intentional walk to load the bases and bring Norwood to the plate.
Paige scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth to bring the Pirates within two runs at 8-6. UAB (23-24, 8-16 CUSA) took a three-run lead on East Carolina in the top half of the inning as Kyle Leon blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence.
With the Pirates trailing 6-3 in the fifth, Darryl Lawhorn and Adam Witter hit back-to-back home runs to bring ECU within a run. UAB took a three-run lead in the top half of the inning as it scored two runs on four hits. Leon's one-out double was the first hit of the frame, which was followed by RBI-singles from Daniel Hill and Matt Womble.
UAB led 4-3 after three and one-half innings when the game was halted to due lightening. The game was delayed for 1:40 by a thunderstorm before play resumed. ECU starting pitcher Davey Penny made his first start in three weeks, but didn't return after the game was restarted.
Norwood hit his first home run of the night in the third to give ECU a 3-2 lead. UAB tied the score with two runs in the third after the Pirates plated a pair of runs in second inning.
The two teams will continue their three-game series Saturday evening at 6 p.m.
