Pirates Remain Unbeaten In Holiday Inn Express/Pirate Clash
March 06, 2004 | Softball
The Pirates defeated Stony Brook by a score a 7-4 in a game that was interrupted by a rain delay. Both teams got on the board early with the Seawolves scoring two in the top of the first and ECU with one in the bottom half of the inning.
Stony Brook leadoff hitter Rachael Vogl led off the game with a triple to right. She then scored on a wild pitch two batters later to put the Seawolves up 1-0. ECU starting pitcher Brently Bridgeforth had control problems early on and Stony Brook was able to plate another runner after consecutive wild pitches, scoring Kristen Burst who had reached on a walk.
The Pirates countered in the bottom half of the first when Christine Sheridan tripled to right, scoring leadoff hitter Kristen Johnson, who led off the inning with a single to left.
Both teams scored again in the third inning. After Stony Brook's Hayley Durham walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Laura Bradford singled to right, scoring Durham. The Pirates answered in the bottom half of the inning when Kate Manuse scored on a wild pitch after leading off the inning with a single to right, cutting the Stony Brook lead to 3-2.
ECU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Johnson singled to left and two batters later Manuse homered to right center for a 4-3 Pirate lead.
After the rain delay, the Pirate bats remained hot with ECU scoring two more runs in the fifth. Krista Jessup singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a Dany'ele Hill sacrifice bunt. After an Andiey Acosta walk, Acosta and Jessup advanced to second and third on a double steal. Lacassa Hill doubled to left, scoring both runners and putting the Pirates up 6-3.
Each team added a run before it was over and ECU won their third consecutive game in the Hampton Inn Express/Pirate Clash. Keli Harrell picked up the win for the Pirates with 6.2 innings pitched in relief, allowing just one earned run and striking out seven. Stony Brook starter Sarah Hoffman suffered the loss for the Seawolves allowing six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
In the second game on Saturday, East Carolina defeated the Ohio Bobcats by a score of 5-2. The Pirates plated the first runner of the game in the top of the third when Johnson scored on a Manuse sacrifice fly to center.
ECU scored four more times in the top of the fourth. Lacassa Hill doubled to left center, scoring Dany'ele Hill who had reached base on a single. Lacassa Hill then stole both third and home, putting ECU up 3-0. The Pirates loaded the bases and Christine Sheridan walked, scoring Johnson. Burleson then scored on a wild pitch, giving the Pirates a 5-0 lead.
Ohio responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Erin Chapman singled home Kelly Rodriguez who had reached base on a single. The Bobcats added another run in the sixth with an RBI single by Shannon Weidner, scoring Jennifer Tisevich.
Maggie Lingo pitched a complete game for the Pirates allowing only two earned runs. Kerri Harley took the loss for the Bobcats with five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.
The Pirates, seeded #2 in the tournament, will face the winner of the Rider/ Stony Brook game at 11 a.m. at D.H. Conley on Sunday.
Holiday Inn Express/Pirate Clash Scoreboard
East Carolina 7, Stony Brook 4
East Carolina 5, Ohio 2
Rider 7, Stony Brook 6
JMU 2, Liberty 1
Ohio 8, Liberty 1
JMU 8, Rider 0 (6 innings)
Sunday's Schedule
Game 1: (5) Ohio vs. (6) Liberty, 9 a.m., ECU Softball Field
Game 2: (3) Rider vs. (4) Stony Brook, 9 a.m., D.H. Conley Field
Game 3: (1) JMU vs. Game 1 winner, 11 a.m., ECU Softball Field
Game 4: (2) East Carolina vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m., D.H. Conley Field
Championship Game: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 1 p.m., ECU Softball
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