East Carolina University
Liberty
Ostrander Pitches Pirates Past Flames
February 10, 2007 | Baseball
Feb. 10, 2007
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina's Jeff Ostrander pitched six full innings allowing three runs to help the Pirates secure its first win of the 2007 season Saturday afternoon over Liberty 7-4 inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Ostrander picked up his first win of the season and first since March 13, 2005 after allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and fanning four. It was his first appearance in almost two years (March 20, 2005 vs. Tulane).
ECU (1-1) got much needed help out of its bullpen as Mike Flye (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 K), Chris Powell (1/3 IP 0H), and Josh Ruhlman (1/3 IP, 0H and 1K) bridged the gap to closer Shane Mathews. In his first appearance out of the pen this season, Mathews picked up the save after closing out the final inning and a third, surrendering one hit and striking out one.
Dustin Umberger got the loss for the Flames (1-1) after completing four innings of work where he gave up six runs (three earned) on five hits, walked four and struck out two before giving way to Ryan Page. Page closed out the game allowing just two hits and one run in four innings.
ECU plated four runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to take its first lead of the game at 6-3. Jamie Ray led off the inning with a single to left center, advanced to second on a Drew Schieber sac bunt, moved over on an Umberger wild pitch and scored on a passed ball. The Pirates second run of the inning came when David Forbes touched home on Brandon Henderson's sac fly to right field. Eldridge scored on Ryan Tousley's single to right and Mollenhauer capped the scoring on a throwing error by Liberty shortstop Patrick Gaillard on a failed pick off move.
Liberty struck early in the top of the first off a P.K. Keller single to right field that scored Aaron Grijalva from third. The flames loaded the bases with no outs before Ostrander fanned Aaron Phillips and Cody Brown, leading up to Keller's single.
Henderson knotted the game at one in the bottom half of the first frame on a sac fly to left center that scored Eldridge from third. Eldridge had led off the inning with a single to right, which was followed by a Mollenhauer double to right center.
The Flames put up a two spot in the top of the third inning on consecutive base hits by Brown and Keller. Garrett Young scored from second on Brown's single to left and Phillips pushed the lead to 3-1 when he crossed the plate on Keller's double to right center.
Stephen Batts pulled the Pirates within one, 3-2, with an RBI single to third base that scored Mollenhauer from third. Mollenhauer drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when Henderson was hit by an Umberger pitch. After a double-steal put runners on second and third, Batts' hit a line drive to Phillips that was trapped on the ground, scoring Mollenhauer.
Grijalva put another Flames run on the board in the top of the seventh to draw within two, 6-4, singling home Tommy Bussey.
ECU was able to tack on an insurance run to make the score 7-4 in the bottom of the eighth on Eldridge's double to centerfield that scored Ryan Wood from second base.
The Pirates and Liberty will play the rubber match of the three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
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