East Carolina University
UCF
Pirates Take Series From UCF In 8-1 Win
April 09, 2006 | Baseball
April 9, 2006
ORLANDO, FLA. - East Carolina senior Brody Taylor posted his second consecutive win and fifth of the season in an 8-1 win over UCF Sunday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field.
Taylor, who is the reigning Conference USA Pitcher-of-the-Week, allowed one run on seven hits with five strike outs in eight innings of work before giving way to Kevin Rhodes to close out the ninth.
ECU (21-13, 4-5) took the lead in the second when Adam Witter poked a single to center that scored Harrison Eldridge and Jake Smith in the top of the sixth. Eldridge led off the inning with a walk and then moved to second on a Dale Mollenhauer sac bunt. Smith doubled down the right field line setting up Witter's two-RBI single.
Taylor Meier made his second start for the Golden Knights (20-15, 3-3) holding ECU to two runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He allowed just two hits, struck out three and walked two in his first loss of the season. Brian Brooks and Brett Bordwine each came in relief surrendering three runs a piece before giving way to Jeremy Thorne.
Eight Pirate batters recorded hits on the day and were led by Witter who had a team-high two RBI. Freshman Ryan Wood extended his hit streak to eight games with a single in the seventh.
Matt Ray and Ryan Bono each had two hits to lead UCF.
The Golden Knights struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Ryan Bono doubled to right-center scoring Matt Ray for an early 1-0 lead.
ECU added to their lead in the seventh inning scoring five runs to blow the game open 7-1. Stephen Batts scored the first run of the inning on a Brian Brooks wild pitch before Drew Schieber scored on a Mollenhauer double to right-center. Mollenhauer scored the third run of the inning when Smith reached second on a fielding and throwing error by UCF Eric Kallstrom.
Witter kept the seventh going when he followed Smith's at-bat with a walk before Wood's RBI single that scored Smith. Jamie Ray plated the Pirates final run of the seventh on a single to center field scoring Witter and putting the Pirates ahead 7-1.
ECU scored another run in the top of the eighth to extend its lead to 8-1.
The Pirates will host in-state foe and nationally-ranked N.C. State on Wednesday, April 12 at Clark-LeClair Stadium with a 7 p.m. first pitch scheduled.
