Harrell Pitches ECU To Twinbill Sweep of Charlotte
April 30, 2005 | Softball
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- Sophomore Keli Harrell tossed her 31st complete game of the season to give East Carolina a 5-2 win over Charlotte in game one of a Conference USA doubleheader and then pitched 4.1 innings of relief to help the Pirates rally from a three-run deficit and down the 49ers in game two, 4-3.
With the two victories, East Carolina improved to 53-15 overall and 15-5 in league play, while Charlotte fell to 17-38-1 and 4-19 in the conference.
After scoring a run in the first inning of game one, the Pirates loaded the bases in both the second and third inning, but failed to capitalize upon their opportunities until the fifth inning when freshman Paige Baggett slapped a bases loaded single through the right side to plate the first of three runs during the frame. Consecutive one-out errors by the 49er defense allowed two additional runs to score and gave ECU a 4-0 lead.
Charlotte scored two in the sixth to cut the lead in half before ECU added an insurance run in its half of the inning as Baggett collected her third hit of the game and drove in her second run. Seniors Kate Manuse and Mandi Nichols also collected three hits during game one.
The 49ers then brought the tying run to plate in the seventh, but Harrell fanned Christy Murray for her 300th strikeout of the season to end the game and earn her 26th win of the year. Kristen Brown suffered the loss for Charlotte (12-21).
ECU fell behind 3-0 in game two, but rallied to complete its 12th come-from-behind victory of the season.
Charlotte scored a single run in each of the first three innings off junior Brently Bridgeforth before Harrell was summoned in relief with one out in the third. Harrell then limited the 49ers to just a single infield hit the rest of the game.
With Harrell in control on the mound, the ECU offense came to life in the fourth. Senior Leigh Savoy started the rally with a leadoff double and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a wild pitch. Junior Ashley Quick then singled to plate freshman Erin St. Ledger, who moved over to third on the wild pitch after drawing a walk and stealing second.
Junior Krista Jessup later doubled to left field with two outs, scoring Quick from first base to tie the game.
A leadoff single by Manuse and another fielding error by Charlotte, which allowed Nichols to reach on a sacrifice bunt, put the go-ahead run at second base in the bottom of the fifth. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Savoy and then Manuse scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly from freshman Laurel Carlson.
Harrell (27-11) then retired the final six batters of the game in order to preserve the Pirates' 19th one-run win of the season and pick up her second victory of the day. Murray (5-17) suffered the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits.
The final game of this three-game series is schedule for a 12 noon start Sunday. ECU will honor each of its four seniors in a pregame ceremony prior to the first pitch.
