East Carolina University
UAB
Pirates Rally Comes Up Short, 3-2
May 18, 2007 | Baseball
May 18, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - No. 29 East Carolina dropped game two of a three-game series to UAB Friday night in Conference USA play 3-2 at Young Memorial Field.
With the loss, the Pirates (35-20, 13-9) remain in second place, a half game ahead of Southern Miss. UAB (25-30, 12-11) moves into fourth place and is in a three-way tie for fourth with Memphis and Houston with one game left in the regular season.
In his second outing of the season, Grant Addison (3-1) went 7.1 innings giving up five hits with three walks with one strikeout. He surrendered one run on the night and the first in his last 15.1 innings pitched. Brandon Wallace relieved Addison in the eighth picking up his fourth save of the year after allowing one run in 1.2 innings of work.
Dustin Sasser fell to 5-4 after going 6.1 innings allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits with four walk and six strikeouts before giving way to Josh Ruhlman in the seventh. Ruhlman faced one batter, striking out Ryan Keedy before being lifted for Bailey Daniels, who struck out J.R. Bond looking for the final out. Daniels worked 1.1 innings of relief facing four batters and striking out three.
UAB took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Danny Sawyer drew a bases loaded walk scoring Phil Bell. With one out in the frame, the Blazers got back-to-back singles to left field from Bell and Keedy before Bond reached first on a Sasser walk.
Sawyer and Ryne Lovdahl each drove in a run in the third to put the Blazers up 3-0. Bell lead off with a walk then moved to second on Bond's second walk of the game with one out. Sawyer singled home Bell with a shot to left field and Lovdahl plated another run on a sac fly to right field.
ECU finally got on the board in the eighth on Stephen Batts RBI single to left field cutting in the Blazer lead 3-1. Ryan Wood doubled down the left field line with one out which was followed by a Kyle Roller and Batts' single. Batts extended his current hitting streak to 21-games, which ties Jamie Paige for the third longest streak in ECU's history.
Drew Schieber's second hit of the game pulled the Pirates within one 3-2, when he singled up the middle scoring Jamie Ray from third. Ray ripped a double down the left field line then moved to third on Jake Dean's ground out to first. David Forbes followed Schieber's at-bat by getting plunked by Wallace. Harrison Eldridge reached on a fielder's choice putting runners on first and third with two outs. Wood walked for the second time loading the bases for pinch-hitter Mark Letchworth, who flew out to center to end the game.
Offensively the Pirates collected eight hits with Schieber leading the way. Kyle Roller extended his career-long hit streak to six games, while Ray's hit streak reached seven games.
ECU will turn to sophomore Josh Dowdy on Saturday and look to lock up second place in the league standings with a win. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EDT).
