Pirates Rout Bulls To Claim Fifth Straight C-USA Series
May 07, 2005 | Baseball
TAMPA, Fla.--East Carolina clinched its fifth straight Conference USA series with a 12-3 win over USF Saturday at Red McEwen Field. The Pirates were led by Dale Mollenhauer who hit a grand slam and collected five RBI on the day while starter Kevin Rhodes earned his second straight victory in as many starts.
With the series win over the Bulls, The Pirates improve to 28-18 on the season and 13-10 in C-USA play while USF drops to 26-25 overall and 11-11 in conference action.
Mollenhauer batted 3-for-6 with five RBI and two runs scored to pace three Pirates with multiple hits. Brian Cavanaugh and Jake Smith joined Mollenhauer with two hits apiece. Cavanaugh went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored while Smith finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Rightfielder Harrison Eldridge also came up big at the plate for ECU, going 1-for-4 with a three-run home run.
Rhodes (3-1) tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while tying a career-high five strikeouts. P.J. Connelly came on in the sixth to relieve Rhodes, allowing just one run on four hits in 3 2/3 innings while striking out two. The two hurlers did not walk a batter on the day.
USF starter Yuri Higgins (2-3) suffered his third loss of the season, allowing six runs on five hits in two innings of work. Ty Pryor relieved Higgins, allowing five runs on six hits in three innings. Jim Cassidy and Chase Lirette finished the game on the hill for the Bulls.
Brandin Daniel topped all USF hitters, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI while Brian Baisley also hit well, batting 2-for-3.
The Pirates didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring two runs before the Bulls recorded an out. Cavanaugh doubled down the line in left to lead off the game and scored from second on a Mollenhauer single to left the next batter. Ryan Peisel followed with a bloop single to right with Mollenhauer advancing to third on a fielding error by USF rightfielder Bryan Hierlmeier and then home when Hierlmeier tried to throw him out at third and the ball got past third base, rolling to the fence down the leftfield line. After an Adam Witter groundout, Mark Minicozzi brought home Peisel from third with a sacrifice fly to center, giving East Carolina the 3-0 lead after the first half inning.
ECU loaded the bases with one out in the second with a Smith single and consecutive walks by Billy Richardson and Cavanaugh before Mollenhauer cleared the bases with a grand slam blast to left-center. The home run was just Mollenhauer's second of the season and the Pirates' fourth grand slam of the year.
After a double and a single put runners on the corners for the Bulls in the bottom of the third, Daniel scored USF's first run on a Jeremy Bellotti bunt single just out of the reach of Peisel's glove at first.
Daniel singled to right in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Matt McHargue from third for the Bulls' second run of the game.
ECU pushed the lead to 10 in the top of the fifth when ECU placed five more runs on the scoreboard. Drew Costanzo added the first run of the inning with a bloop single to center, scoring Witter from second. After a Smith walk, Eldridge hit the three-run shot down the line in right for his fourth homer of the season. Richardson followed with a double over the head of centerfielder Bellotti before Cavanaugh singled him home, pushing the lead to 12-2.
Jeff Baisley's sacrifice fly to right in the seventh plated Josh LeRoy from third for USF's third run to close the scoring.
The Pirates and the Bulls will finish the weekend series at Red McEwen Field with a 12 p.m. first pitch Sunday afternoon.
