East Carolina University
Memphis
Memphis Rolls Past ECU 14-6 In C-USA Action
May 19, 2006 | Baseball
May 19, 2006
MEMPHIS TENN. - Will Petersen's three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth gave Memphis a 7-5 lead and the Tigers never looked back as they defeated East Carolina 14-6 Friday afternoon at Nat Buring Stadium.
With the loss, the Pirates fall to 32-23 on the season and 10-13 in Conference USA and earn the sixth seed in the 2006 C-USA Championships next week. Memphis improves to 29-26 and 12-11 will finish either fourth or fifth in the league, depending on the outcome of today's Southern Miss and UCF game.
Neil Schenk picks up his second win of the season after pitching the final 3 1/3 innings, where he allowed one run on five hits and struck out one. Freshman starter Scott McGregor worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and fanning two.
Shane Mathews suffered the loss for the Pirates and fell to 5-3 on the year after working 5 2/3 innings and allowing six run on ten hits, despite striking out eight batters. ECU used four pitchers in relief in Kevin Rhodes, Mike Flye, Chris Powell and Carter Harrell. The four combined to pitch 2 1/3 innings and gave up eight runs on ten hits.
Eight Tiger batters collected two or more hits and they were led by Cory Barton and his 4-for-5 performance at the plate. He finished with three RBI and one run scored. First baseman Adam Amar had three hits including a home run.
For the Pirates, Dale Mollenhauer and Jake Smith each collected two hits and each connected on the long ball. Jake Dean had one hit and scored two runs.
Memphis jumped out early on the Pirates scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bill Moss plated the games first run with a single up the middle that scored K.K. Chalmers. Chalmers led off the game with a walk and moved to third on Petersen's single to left field. Joey Lieberman knocked in two runs with a double to right field making the game 3-0.
Smith got ECU on the board in the top of the third after hitting his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, to cut the lead to two.
Kyle Norrid's fielder's choice in the bottom of the third frame scored Moss to push the Tigers lead to 4-1. Moss led of the inning with a single to left field and advanced to third on a single by Amar.
Mollenhauer drove in the Pirates second run of the game when he laced a triple down the right field line that scored Dean from first pulling within two, 4-2.
The Pirates scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead. Ryan Tousley extended his hit streak to 14-games with a double to right-center that scored Adam Witter for the first run. Tousley would tie the game at four when he scored on a throwing error by Michael Murray on Dean's grounder. Adam Hodges pinch-hit single to left scored Dean to give ECU its first lead of the game.
Trailing 7-5, ECU pulled within one, 7-6, on Mollenhauer's sixth homer of the year, a solo shot to right.
Memphis would score three runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to close the game at 14-6.
The Pirates and Tigers will close out the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (EST).
