East Carolina University
NC State
Softball Shut Out By NC State In Consecutive Games
March 22, 2006 | Softball
March 22, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina and NC State staged a pair of classic pitcher's duels here Wednesday night with NC State proving to be the victor in each game, posting a pair of shut out victories, 2-0 and 1-0.
With the wins the Wolfpack (27-10) extended its winning streak to nine games, while the Pirates (19-13) dropped their fourth and fifth consecutive games.
In the second game of the evening one single play determined the outcome. Shanna Smith lead off the sixth with a base hit to center field, but the ball got by ECU center fielder Alison Monce and rolled all the way to the wall allowing Smith to score the game's only run.
Otherwise, ECU starter Keli Harrell (10-9) and NCSU starter Shania Ervin (7-2) matched each other inning-for-inning.
Harrell tied her season-high for strikeouts with 13, allowing just four hits with three walks. Ervin allowed just two hits and struck out six as both pitchers went the distance.
In game one, the Wolfpack broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of third. Jen Chamberlin delivered a base hit to center field to plate Blair Harkey from third base; while Shanna Smith scored as Chamberlin was tossed out in the rundown.
ECU loaded the bases in the first and third, but failed to score as NCSU starter Abbie Sims (14-5) struck out the side to end the first and induced a ground ball back to her to end the third.
Although Sims struggled with her control, walking five, she surrendered just one hit in the final six innings, limiting ECU to three total hits and striking out 10.
ECU starting pitcher Brently Bridgeforth (3-2) tossed a complete game, but suffered her second loss of the season despite limiting NCSU to just two hits in the final four innings.
Senior Krista Jessup collected her 200th career hit in her first at-bat, becoming the seventh player in school history to reach the milestone.
The Pirates return to action Friday as they host the 2006 Pirate Invitational. ECU faces Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. before entertaining No. 6 California at 6 p.m. All games in the Pirate Invitational will be played at the ECU Softball Field.
