Cavanaugh Lifts Pirates Over Cougars With Ninth Inning Homer
May 25, 2005 | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.--Brian Cavanaugh hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as East Carolina won in dramatic fashion over Houston, 6-5, in the first game of the 2005 Conference USA Baseball Tournament at Pete Taylor Park Wednesday. After Billy Richardson popped up to second to lead off the ninth for ECU, Cavanaugh ended a 5-5 tie with his game-winning blast over the wall in right.
In addition to the homer, Cavanaugh finished just a double short of the cycle, collecting two singles and a triple in a 4-for-5 performance at the plate. Mike Grace also finished with multiple hits for ECU (35-22), going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Four other Pirates drove in a run for the Pirates in their tournament opening victory over the Cougars.
T.J. Hose earned a no-decision in eight innings of work. The freshman right-hander allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on nine hits while striking out five and walking just one. Kevin Rhodes came on in the ninth and faced two batters before giving way to Scott Andrews. Andrews, who faced three batters in the top of the ninth, earned his fifth win of the season.
Cougar starter Kevin Roberts lasted just an inning, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out two and walking one. Ricky Hargrove came on in the top of the second and tossed six innings in relief for Houston (27-29). Hargrove allowed just one run on five hits while striking out three before Gene Flores came on to pitch the final 1 1/3 innings. Flores suffered the loss with Cavanaugh's home run being the difference in the game.
Bryan Pounds finished 3-for-4 while Stephen Whalen finished 2-for-4 to lead the Cougar offense. Whalen scored two runs on the day while Brad Lincoln collected three RBI.
Travis Tully led off the game with a walk and after advancing to third on a Hose throwing error on a failed pickoff, scored on a Lincoln sacrifice fly to right two batters later to plate the first run of the game.
After consecutive singles and a double steal by Cavanaugh and Dale Mollenhauer to lead off the bottom half of the first, Adam Witter brought home Cavanaugh from third on groundout to first to tie the game up. Grace then gave ECU the lead with a line drive single to right, scoring Mollenhauer from third. A Ryan Peisel single to left then scored Drew Costanzo, who walked two batters earlier before the Pirates' fifth single of the inning off the bat of Harrison Eldridge scored Grace from second to give ECU the early 4-1 lead.
With runners on the corners for Houston in the top of the third, Brad Lincoln's groundout to second scored Whalen from third, cutting the ECU lead to 4-2.
Houston plated three runs in the top of the fifth to take a one-run lead. Whalen scored from third on a Brian Tully groundout for the first run of the inning before a Lincoln double to left-center scored Travis Tully to even the score at four. Kingsbury followed Lincoln with a double of his own down the line in left, scoring Lincoln to give the Cougars their second lead of the game.
Richardson hit a two-out RBI single to center in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Grace from third to tie the game, 5-5.
East Carolina will now play the winner Tulane/UAB at 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 26. Houston will play the loser of the Tulane/UAB contest at 10 a.m. EST in the first game Thursday.
