East Carolina University
Purdue
Quick Powers ECU Past Purdue And Pittsburgh Saturday
February 11, 2006 | Softball
Feb. 11, 2006
Boca Raton, Fla. - Pirate softball improved to 4-0 on the season Saturday with two more wins over Purdue and Pittsburgh at the FAU Worth Invitational. The Pirates took out Purdue in the first game this morning, 3-1, before beating Pittsburgh, 8-2, this afternoon.
Ashley Quick drove in two runners in each game on a pair of doubles, going 3-for-5 on the day while newcomer Vanessa Moreno led all Pirates at the plate, collecting five hits in eight at-bats Saturday.
In the first game, the Pirates and the Boilermakers took a scoreless game into the seventh before ECU put three runs on the board. Jessica Johnson led off the inning with a double to get the rally started. After Alison Monce walked, a wild pitch moved the runners over before Beth Nolan brought home Sarah Bibee, who was pinch-running for Johnson, on a fielder's choice. Two batters later, Quick brought home Monce and Nolan with a double down the rightfield line, giving ECU a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, starting pitcher Keli Harrell retired the first two batters before Purdue finally got on the board. DaQuenta Johnson kept the Boilermakers alive with a single to right and Katie Mitchell proceeded to double to left-center, scoring Catherine Zaworski, who was pinch-running for Johnson. Erica Peterson then walked before Harrell struck out Ashley Hall to secure the victory for the Pirates.
Harrell picked up her second win of the season, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out seven and walking two. Moreno led ECU at the plate, going 3-for-4.
ECU got on the board early in the second game of the day, scoring runs in each of the first three innings en route to a six-run victory over the Panthers.
Moreno led off the game with a single up the middle and after an Erin St. Ledger sacrifice bunt moved her over, Moreno scored on a Krista Jessup single two batters later to put the Pirates up 1-0 after one. The Pirates picked up another run in the second when Joyce Roodenburg, who led off the inning with a triple, scored on a Nolan single.
The Pirates scored four runs in the third to take a 6-0 lead after three. Roodenberg picked up her second hit of the game in the third, bringing home St. Ledger and Monce on a single to left. Later in the inning Paige Baggett scored Roodenburg and Nolan on a single to center.
Pitt added a run each of the fourth and the fifth innings before ECU added two more in the bottom half of the fifth on a Quick double.
Brently Bridgeforth earned the victory for the Pirates, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings of work. Bridgeforth walked two and struck out nine in her first start of the season. Moreno, Roodenburg and Quick all finished with two hits in game two.
The Pirates will face the winner of the Saturday night's South Carolina-Florida Atlantic match-up in the championship game Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
