Pirates Defeat High Point Tuesday Night, 14-5
March 15, 2005 | Baseball
Drew Costanzo finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Brian Cavanaugh slugged his first home run of the season, finishing 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored. Billy Richardson batted 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Ricky Brooks started for ECU (12-4) but lasted only 1 1/3 innings after leaving the game early with an injury. Brooks allowed on run on two hits while striking out two and walking one. Scott Andrews (1-0) relieved Brooks, earning the win, tossing 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two. Jason Neitz made his second appearance of the season allowing one run in two innings pitched. Cody Leggett, Chris Powell and Will Anderson also saw time on the mound for ECU.
Panther starter Rob Bland (0-4) took the loss, tossing four innings, giving up 10 runs, only four earned, on seven hits. The junior right-hander struck out three and walked four Pirate batters. Bubba O'Donnell and Matt Christie pitched in relief for High Point.
Josh Cotten had a big day at the plate for High Point (9-12), hitting three home runs in a losing effort. The senior first baseman finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.
The Pirates plated a run in the first when Costanzo came home on a Mark Minicozzi ground out to short. The Panthers responded in the second when Cotten hit a solo homer over the wall in left, tying the game up at 1-1.
ECU responded with five runs in the bottom of the second. Ryan Peisel scored on an error by shortstop Jeremy Neyra and Mollenhauer crossed the plate on an infield single by Costanzo. The next batter, Minicozzi, reached on another error by Neyra to score Harrison Eldridge. Mike Grace then doubled to left-center, scoring Richardson and Costanzo to put the Pirates up 6-1 after two.
Cavanaugh hit his first home run of the year with a line shot to right-center in the bottom of the third, scoring Peisel to give ECU an 8-1. After Eldridge reached on a fielding error by second baseman Dustin Holtzman, Richardson tripled over the centerfielder's head to bring home Eldridge for the Pirates' ninth run.
High Point got a run back in the top of the fourth when Ro Castro singled to right, scoring Bobby Brown from second. ECU loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning and a wild pitch brought home Grace to give ECU an eight-run lead after four.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, Richardson scored on a fielder's choice for his second run of the game.
Cotten hit his second homer of the game in the top of the sixth, just out of the reach of a leaping Eldridge over the wall in right to cut the Pirate lead to 11-3.
The Pirates added three more runs in the seventh before Cotten hit his third homer of the game with a two-run shot to left, closing the scoring at 14-5.
The Pirates will open Conference USA action when they travel to New Orleans to face No.3 Tulane this weekend in a three game series March 18-20. Friday night's contest is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.
