No. 5 ECU Downs Saint Louis, 15-5
May 07, 2004 | Baseball
St. Louis, Mo. ? Jamie Paige finished 4-for-7 with five RBI and No. 5 East Carolina pounded out 22 hits as the Pirates took game one of a Conference USA series opener at Saint Louis, 15-5, Friday night at the Billiken Sports Center. Dustin Sassser (2-0) picked up the win on the mound holding the Billikens (13-33, 4-17 C-USA) to four runs through five innings.
Ryan Norwood and Mike Grace each added three hits for the Pirates (39-7, 19-3 C-USA) who have won 20 of their last 21 games. Trevor Lawhorn and Billy Richardson each added a pair of hits. Sasser held the Billikens to four runs on seven hits through five innings of work. P.J. Connelly tossed three innings of relief while Trevor Lawhorn closed out the game on the mound tossing one scoreless inning. SLU starter Dave Gunturious (3-6) suffered the loss surrendering seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Johnny Sweeney led the Billikens going 3-for-4 at the plate.
The Pirates sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the second for an eight-run inning to go ahead, 8-0, early. Paige's three-run single highlighted the inning as ECU recorded four doubles in the second.
Darryl Lawhorn singled through the right side bringing in his twin brother, Trevor, giving ECU a 9-0 lead in the fourth. Saint Louis trimmed its deficit to 9-2 in the bottom half of the frame on Sweeney's RBI single and Aaron Thompson's walk.
Jon Greenwich's solo home run and Sweeney's run-scoring double pulled the Billikens within, 9-4, in the fifth.
ECU executed three back-to-back hit and runs to score four runs in the top of sixth. Paige, Richardson, Mark Minicozzi and Grace each had an RBI single in the inning giving the Pirates a 13-4 advantage.
SLU scored one back in the seventh before ECU used run-scoring singles in the ninth by Jake Smith and Smith to take a 15-5 lead. Trevor Lawhorn made his first appearance of the season on the mound in the bottom of ninth. He struck out two and recorded the final out of the game on a line out to right field.
ECU and Saint Louis continue the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (EST). Carter Harrell (4-1) will start for the Pirates while Kris Weber (3-3, 4.18 ERA) will now get the start for the Billikens.
