Pirate Baseball Remains Perfect On the Season
February 28, 2004 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Drew Costanzo's walk-off home run with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted East Carolina (10-0) over No. 11 Clemson, 3-2, in the third game of the First Annual Keith LeClair Invitational Saturday night in front of 2,724 fans at Harrington Field. East Carolina defeated Georgia Southern, 7-1, in the second game of the tournament. Clemson (1-2) shut out Georgia Southern, 4-0, in the first game of the day.
Freshman right-hander, Mike Flye who prepped at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, came on in relief and picked up his first career win against the Tigers. Flye struck out a career-high nine batters in 5.2 innings and did not allow an earned run on three hits. Greg Bunn started the game for the Pirates and recorded seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings. He gave up two earned runs on four hits. Patrick Hogan took the loss for the Tigers allowing the one earned run on two hits in three innings. Hogan struck out four in the contest.
With one out and a 3-2 count, Costanzo lofted a shot deep to left center that sailed over the left center field wall for his first career home run for the Pirates. ECU and Clemson battled through 11 innings. Clemson jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Travis Storrer's two-run home run in the top of the third. ECU pulled within 2-1 on Mark Minicozzi's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Norwood's third home run of the season tied the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the seventh.
Clemson had a chance to regain the lead in the top of the ninth. Andy D'Alessio doubled with no outs. Russell Triplett flew out to right field to advance pinch-runner C.J. Gaddis to third. Flye struck out Herman Demmink and Zane Green to end the inning.
ECU had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Norwood doubled and advanced to third on Brian Cavanaugh's sacrifice bunt. Minicozzi then walked. Hogan then struck out John Poppert and Ryan Jones to end the threat.
Tyler Lumsden started the game for the Tigers on the mound. Lumsden threw six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and recorded six strikeouts. Norwood and Jones each had two hits for the Pirates. Storrer led Clemson going 2-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI.
East Carolina 7, Georgia Southern 1
ECU junior left-hander Brody Taylor struck out a career-high nine batters in 7.2 innings
and Ryan Jones finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI as ECU stayed
perfect on the season in the second game of the tournament. The Pirates pounded out
11 hits off five different Georgia Southern pitchers. Brian Harrison started the game on
the mound and struck out nine in 6.2 innings for the Eagles. He gave up three runs on
eight hits.
ECU used a four run ninth inning to break open a 3-0 game. After Billy Richardson and Jamie Paige both walked and stole second and third, Jones doubled to left center to give ECU a 5-0 lead. After Norwood singled, Brian Cavanaugh tripled in Norwood and Jones for the 7-0 Pirate lead. The Eagles' lone run came in the bottom of the ninth. Justin Klinger's pinch-hit single scored Grant Burrus who doubled to lead off the inning.
Clemson 4, Georgia Southern 0
Jason Berken, Robert Rohrbaugh, Steven Jackson and Adam Walker combined for a
three-hit shutout as No. 11 Clemson downed Georgia Southern, 4-0, in the first game
of the Keith LeClair Invitational. Berken recorded seven strikeouts to pick up his first
win of the season.
Brad McCann led the Tiger offense going 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 22 games. Garrick Evans was 2-for-3 with one RBI for the Tigers. The teams will wrap up the Invitational with three more games Sunday. Clemson will take one Georgia Southern at 10 a.m. ECU will play Clemson at 1 p.m. while the Pirates and Georgia Southern will face-off in the tournament finale at 4 p.m.
