Flye, Pirates Overwhelm Wolfpack, 13-1
February 26, 2005 | Baseball
East Carolina (5-3) has now faced N.C. State three times at Joe Riley Park with the Pirates outscoring the Wolfpack by a combined 31-3.
Flye and relievers T.J. Hose and Scott Andrews combined on the one run, six-hit victory. Flye, who won his third game of the season and second consecutive game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on only three hits while striking out four and walking three. The sophomore right-hander received help from his defense early on with the Pirates turning three double plays in the first five innings. Hose tossed 1 2/3 innings of shutout baseball while Andrews pitched two complete, allowing one run on one hit.
Adam Witter sparked the ECU offense in the early going with a grand slam in the top of the third. The junior first baseman finished 2-for-4 on the day with four RBI. Mark Minicozzi continued to hit well this weekend hitting 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored. Harrison Eldridge (2-for-3, two runs) and Mike Grace (2-for-5, two RBI) also collected multiple hits.
Jake Muyco, who finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, led N.C. State (9-2) offensively.
Wolfpack starter Jeff Stallings went four innings, allowing earned runs on five hits, striking out three and walking three. Travis High relieved Stallings, tossing 2 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out one. Ryan Pond, Sam Walls and Branden Knapp combined to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings.
The Pirates got on the board first in the top of the third when Minicozzi singled to left, bringing home Eldridge, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, from second. ECU plated its second run when Jake Smith drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Richardson before Witter pounded an 0-2 pitch for a grand slam over the wall in right, giving the Pirates a 6-0 advantage.
The ECU lead expanded in the top of the seventh. After a Minicozzi single to left, Grace doubled over the leftfielder's head, moving Minicozzi to third. Jake Smith then hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Minicozzi and moving Grace to third.
The lead increased to 11-0 in the top of the eighth when Minicozzi doubled to right with the bases loaded, scoring Eldridge and Richardson. Grace then doubled down the leftfield line, bringing home Costanzo and Minicozzi.
Drew Costanzo hit his second home run of the season in the top of the ninth. With Richardson on first after a walk, Costanzo hit a shot off the graphics board in right-center to push the lead to 13-0.
N.C. State's lone run came in the bottom of the eighth when Muyco singled to left, scoring Jason St. Julien, who reached on a walk.
East Carolina will face The Citadel in the final game of the Homewood Suites Shootout on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Joe Riley Park. The Pirates will then return home to open Clark-LeClair Stadium March 4-6 when they host the Keith LeClair Classic. First pitch in the new park is scheduled for 11 a.m. on March 4 when the Pirates face the Michigan Wolverines.
