Pirates Out-hit by Cougars, Lose 15-7
February 12, 2005 | Baseball
In addition to Marmol, all other Cougars starters recorded a hit including six players with multiple hits on the day. Byron Barber went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored for CofC. Starter Nick Chigges recorded the win in his first career start throwing 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, including the two Pirate homeruns. Shawn Williams picked up the save for the Cougars with 3 2/3 innings of work in relief.
ECU starter Shane Mathews was credited with the loss, pitching three innings, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out one. In relief of Mathews, four Pirate relievers allowed 10 runs in five innings of work, despite newcomer Cody Leggett holding the Cougars scoreless in the eighth.
The Pirates (1-1) were led offensively bv Jake Smith and Mark Minicozzi who each recorded two hits for ECU.
College of Charleston got on the board first with two runs in the bottom half of the first. After leadoff hitter Phillip Coker singled to right and Brett Gardner reached on a fielding error by Mathews, Barber singled up the middle, bringing in Coker for the first run of the game. Two batters later, Chris Campbell singled in Gardner from third base, giving CofC a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The Cougars struck again in the bottom of the third, scoring three more runs off Mathews. CofC used three doubles and a single to increase their early lead. Brett Anderson doubled while the next batter, Jess Easterling, doubled him in to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead. After a Marmol single moved Easterling to third, Coker doubled down the leftfield line, scoring both runners.
ECU fell behind 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth when D.J. Wabick doubled to right off Andrews, scoring Barber who had reached base on a walk.
CofC scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open. After a walk and two bunt singles loaded the bases, Barber brought two home with a double down the leftfield line. Wabick followed the Barber double with a single, driving in Coker for the Cougars ninth run of the game. Campbell proceeded to single to right, scoring Barber from third. The next batter, Easterling, grounded to short for the second out, scoring Wabick. Hastings, batting for the second time in the inning then doubled to left, scoring two more Cougar runners. Marmol then singled up the middle, scoring Hastings, giving CofC a 14-0 lead after five innings.
The Pirates bats were held in check until the sixth inning when ECU recorded back-to-back homeruns. Minicozzi walked and clean-up hitter Mike Grace gave the ECU their first two runs of the game with a homerun to right. Smith then followed Grace with his first homerun of the season, a solo shot, over the centerfield wall. First baseman Adam Witter then doubled to right and newcomer Dale Mollenhauer followed him up with his first career-hit and RBI driving in Witter for the fourth Pirate run.
East Carolina added a fifth run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Jamie Ray brought pinch runner Brian Cavanaugh home on a sacrifice fly to left.
Minicozzi, who finished the day 2-for-4, doubled in Billy Richardson and later scored on a Cavanaugh single, in the ninth, adding the Pirates sixth and seventh runs of the game.
The Pirates will face the Cougars in the series finale Sunday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. at Patriots Point Field.
