Baseball Wins Season Opener in 10 Innings, 9-6
February 11, 2005 | Baseball
After a Billy Richardson single and a Drew Costanzo walk, Minicozzi doubled to right center, scoring both runners. One batter later, Jake Smith singled in Minicozzi for the Pirates ninth run of the game. T.J. Hose came on in the tenth to earn his first collegiate save for ECU.
East Carolina held a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth when CofC's Brian Hastings hit a two-out, three-run homerun to tie the game at 6-6, forcing extra innings.
Richardson led ECU with four hits while Jay Mattox and Brett Lindgren each finished with three for the Pirates. Richardson batted 4-for-6 with one RBI, trwo runs scored and one stolen base. Lindgren and Mattox each finished 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI. Lindgren tied a career-high with three hits on the day. Mike Grace also collected multiple hits for ECU, batting 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Jeff Ostrander started for the Pirates, pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits while striking out four Cougar batters. Mike Flye picked up the win, pitching 3 2/3 innings in relief of Ostrander, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two.
Ryan Edell took the mound for College of Charleston going six innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. Edell struck out three and walked three before getting pulled for reliever Danny Gemma. Gemma pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. CofC's closer Brett Harker pitched 2/3 of inning, allowing one run in the tenth.
In addition to Hastings, the Cougars were led offensively by Brett Anderson and Phillip Coker, who each collected two hits.
ECU got on the board early, scoring two runs in the top half of the first inning. Richardson led off the game with a single to left and was followed by Costanzo who singled to shallow center, advancing Richardson to second. After a Minicozzi pop out and an Edell balk that advanced the runners to second and third, Grace singled to left, scoring both runners.
College of Charleston answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs to take the early lead. After Byron Barber reached on a fielder's choice and D.J. Wabick walked, Chris Campbell singled to center but the ball got through the legs of Mattox, rolling to the wall. All runners scored, including Campbell, clearing the bases for the Cougars.
The scoring continued in the Pirates' top half of the second. Mattox led off the inning with a double to right center and reached third on an Edell wild pitch. Lindgren then singled to right, driving in Mattox to tie the game at 3-3. Brian Cavanaugh's sacrifice bunt advanced Lindgren to second and Richardson proceeded to double over the head of leftfielder Byron Barber, scoring Lindgren and giving East Carolina a 4-3 lead.
The Pirates plated their fifth run of the ballgame when Smith, who had singled to left and reached third on a Mattox single, scored on a wild pitch by Gemma.
East Carolina will face the Cougars in game two of the weekend series on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. at Patriots Point Field.
