Pirates Win Game One of Doubleheader Over Navy, 6-5
March 12, 2005 | Baseball
Mark Minicozzi led all Pirates with three hits going 3-for-4 with one RBI on the day. Richardson, Eldridge and Jake Smith all collected two hits with Richardson's second hit proving to be the difference in the ballgame. Eldridge finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored, Smith went 2-for-4 with one RBI while Richardson drove in two and scored a run.
Jonathan-Matthew Johnston finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored to lead Navy. Mitchell Harris also finished with multiple hits for Navy, batting 2-for-5 on the day.
Kevin Rhodes earned the win and Pirates while Tom Van Dam took the loss for the Midshipmen. P.J. Connelly started for ECU (9-4), tossing five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out two and walking three Midshipmen. Burgess Nichols took the hill for Navy (3-6-1), going 3 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits while striking out one and walking four. Rhodes tossed two innings, giving up just one hit while striking out three. Van Dam pitched 4 2/3 innings in a losing effort despite allowing only one unearned run.
The Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the first for the fourth consecutive game, going up 1-0 when Smith singled to center, scoring Drew Costanzo, who reached earlier in the inning on a walk.
Navy responded in the top half of the second with consecutive singles by Renaldo Hollins and Johnston to right with the bases loaded, scoring William Maugeri and Thomas Hamilton. The Midshipmen plated their third run of the inning on a Jared Munde fielder's choice, scoring Matt Lukevics from third.
Eldridge singled to right-center to score Brian Cavanaugh with the Pirates' second run of the game in the bottom of the second. Richardson then singled to left, scoring Lindgren from third to tie the game at 3-3. Minicozzi collected his second hit of the game with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Eldridge from second to regain the lead for ECU.
Navy tied the score back up with one run in the fourth inning. Munde, who reached on an infield single, scored on a double steal with Harris advancing to second.
A throwing error on Navy third baseman Maugeri on a Minicozzi ground ball allowed Richardson to score from second to give ECU a 5-4 lead after four.
Johnston hit the first Navy homer of the season with a solo shot to right in the top of the sixth to tie the score at five.
The score remained tied until Eldridge, who walked to lead off the inning, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored the winning run on a Richardson single.
ECU will take on Navy in game two of the three game series at approximately 3:15 in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
