Pirates Fall to Tulane in Eight Innings, 8-6
March 20, 2005 | Baseball
Due to Conference USA rules, no inning could start after 5 p.m. EST and with the eighth inning running over the time limit, the game was called before the ninth inning could be started.
Jeff Ostrander started for ECU (12-7, 0-3), tossing 3 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking one. T.J. Hose (1-1) relieved Ostrander and tossed a career-high 4 1/3 innings in a losing effort. Hose allowed four runs on four hits while striking out four and walking five Tulane batters.
Drew Costanzo led all batters with three hits on the day, going 3-for-3 with one RBI and three runs scored. Smith also had a big day for ECU, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Mike Grace also collected multiple hits, batting 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
For Tulane (19-3, 3-0 C-USA), Brian Bogusevic pitched five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking four. Sean Morgan came on in relief of Bogusevic, earning his third win of the season, allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work. Nathan Southard and Brad Emaus each collected three hits while Joe Holland and Scott Madden each collected two.
In the top of the first, Harrison Eldridge singled to right and scored from first on an RBI double by Minicozzi to left-center and Grace followed with an RBI double of his own down the line in right, scoring Minicozzi. After a Costanzo singled to right, Smith brought home Grace from third on a sacrifice fly to center, giving ECU an early 3-0 lead.
Tulane responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game up at 3-3. Joe Holland, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, scored from third on an Emaus single to left. Tommy Manzella then brought home Southard on a sacrifice fly to right before Madden doubled to left-center, scoring Emaus from first.
The Green Wave took the lead in the fourth when Southard singled to left to score Sean Morgan from second.
The Pirates regained the lead in the fifth when Jake Smith collected his first hit of the series with a two-run blast over the wall in left-center, scoring Costanzo who reached on a walk to give East Carolina a 5-4 lead.
Tulane threatened in the bottom of the sixth with runners on first and second with no outs but Hose induced three consecutive fly balls to the top three batters in the Green Wave lineup to get out of the jam.
Costanzo hit his seventh homer of the season in the top of the seventh with a shot to right, giving ECU a two-run lead.
Emaus tied the game up in the eighth with a two-RBI double to right, scoring Holland from second and Southard from first before Madden hit a two-RBI double to right to give Tulane an 8-6 lead.
ECU will return to action Wednesday, March 23 when the Pirates will host UNC Wilmington at Clark-LeClair Stadium at 7 p.m.
