Pirates Sink Midshipmen 17-4 in Game Two of Doubleheader
March 12, 2005 | Baseball
East Carolina (10-4) finished with 16 hits and six players with multiple hits in the second game. After driving in the winning run in the first game of the day, Richardson led ECU going 3-for-5 with one RBI and four runs scored in the second game. Harrison Eldridge also collected three hits, going 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored. Drew Costanzo finished 2-for-4 with a career-high five RBI. Ryan Peisel and Mark Minicozzi each collected three RBI for East Carolina.
Mike Flye (4-1) made his fourth start of the season earning the win for ECU. In five innings of work, Flye allowed one run on six hits while striking out five and walking two. Scott Andrews relieved Flye, going two innings, allowing one run on two hits before giving way to Brett Braxton and Chris Powell each pitched an inning to finish the game.
Mark McCoy (1-1) was credited with the loss for Navy (3-7-1), throwing 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking one. Rob Molinaro, Kevin Heasley, Spencer Suarez and Richard Lippincott all pitched the final 4 1/3 innings in relief of McCoy. Five Navy errors resulted in seven unearned runs for East Carolina.
The Pirates continued their recent trend of scoring early with a run in the bottom of the first. Richardson reached second on an error by catcher Jonathan-Matthew Johnston and after stealing third, scored on a Minicozzi ground out to third.
ECU plated their second run in the second inning when Jay Mattox advanced home on a balk by McCoy after tripling to left. The Midshipmen got a run back in the top of the third when Matt Lukevics singled to left, scoring Thomas Hamilton from second.
Minicozzi hit an infield single to third in the bottom of the fourth to score Richardson for his second run of the game. Jake Smith then doubled, advancing Minicozzi to third before Peisel drove them both in with a single to left, giving ECU a 5-1 lead after three.
The Pirates scored in their fourth consecutive inning with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jamie Ray scored from third on McCoy's second balk of the day. After Molinaro replaced McCoy, he balked with runners on the corners, scoring Richardson from third and advancing Costanzo to second. Minicozzi then tripled to deep center to bring home Costanzo. Smith then reached on an error by the third baseman Doug Silverman, scoring Minicozzi from third. The Pirates scored their tenth run of the game and fifth of the inning when Peisel doubled to center to score Smith from second.
Two more runs came in for ECU in the bottom of the fifth when Eldridge and Richardson scored on a single by Costanzo to right. Eldridge hit a bases loaded single in the sixth to score Mattox who reached on walk before a sacrifice fly to right brought home Brett Lindgren from third. Costanzo then hit his fifth home run of the season to right, pushing the lead to 17-1.
Navy added three runs late in the game with one in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth. In the top of the seventh, Lewis Hobbs singled in Renaldo Hollins with a single to center. D.J. Faldowski and Doug Silverman each scored in the seventh to plate the final two runs of the game for Navy.
Three of the Pirates' 17 runs were scored on balks by the Navy pitchers. With the victory, ECU has now scored first in all ten of their wins this season.
ECU will take on Navy in the final game of the weekend series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
