No. 17 Pirate Baseball Downs Duke, 7-5
April 07, 2004 | Baseball
Ryan Jones, Drew Costanzo, Mark Minicozzi and Adam Witter each had two hits. Trevor Lawhorn finished with one hit and four RBI launching his first career grand slam in the top of the second. The Pirates have now hit a grand slam in each of the last three games.
Kevin Rhodes tossed two scoreless innings in relief holding Duke no runs on two hits.
Javier Soccoro led the Blue Devils going 3-for-5 at the plate. Duke sent seven pitchers to the mound. Justin DiLucchio was saddled with loss for Duke. DiLucchio (2-1) allowed five earned runs on three hits in two innings.
Witter lofted his second home run of the season over the left center wall to push the Pirates ahead, 7-3, in the top of the fifth.
Soccorro's triple into the left center corner scored Jonathan Anderson pulling Duke within, 7-4. Tim Layden's triple down the right field line scored Soccorro to make it, 7-5.
Duke tried for a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth. Corey Whiting and Adam Loftin hit back-to-back singles. Rhodes then got Kyle Silver to ground out to the mound to end the threat.
East Carolina ended a Duke threat in the bottom of the third. After Adam Murray doubled and Tim Layden walked, Miello grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play to end the threat.
Soccorro drove in the Blue Devils third run in the bottom of the second with a two-out single to center field, but Jamie Paige threw out Soccorro as he was rounding first to end the second.
Trevor Lawhorn's 13th home run of the season, his first career grand slam, rallied ECU for a 5-2 lead in the top of the second. Mark Minicozzi scored the Pirates first run of the inning when Ryan Jones was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Trevor Lawhorn followed with the grand slam.
Duke jumped on Brooks for two runs in the bottom of the first. Mike Miello's RBI single brought in Javier Soccoro putting the Blue Devils ahead, 1-0. Bryan Smith's sacrifice fly scored Adam Murray for the early 2-0 Blue Devil lead.
East Carolina returns home this weekend for a three-game Conference USA series with USF. Duke will host Wake Forest for a three-game series this weekend.
