ECU Baseball Downs ODU 20-13 In 10 Innings

March 5, 2008

NORFOLK, VA. - The East Carolina baseball team scored seven runs in the 10th inning to take a wild 20-13 win over Old Dominion at Bud Metheny Complex Tuesday night.

Heading into the 10th frame with the game tied at 13, six consecutive batters reached base sparking the seven run inning. Ryan Wood lead off with a single down the right field line, then moved to third on Stephen Batts' single up the middle. After Kyle Roller drew a walk to load the bases, Wood crossed home for the game-winning run when Dexter Carter plunked Brandon Henderson with a high fastball putting the score at 14-13 in favor of ECU (4-4). Corey Kemp and Jamie Ray drew back-to-back walks scoring Batts and Roller before the Monarchs( 4-4) were able to record the first out. Freshman Dustin Harrington reached on an error by third baseman Jake McAloose scoring Henderson and setting up Harrison Eldridge's final at-bat of the game.

Leading 17-13, Eldridge stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and took a Carter pitch over the right-center field wall for what looked like a grand slam. But the umpires ruled that Eldridge ran past Harrington in the base paths and was called out at second base, but not before Kemp, Ray and Harrington all touched home capping the scoring at 20-13.

Brett Butts (1-0) picked up his first win of the season after working one inning of relief in the ninth inning. The senior from Goldsboro entered the inning with runners at first and second and no outs. Butts struck out Anthony Shawler, got Chris Buss to ground out and fanned McAloose to work a perfect frame. Pirate starter Sthil Sowers lasted 1 2/3 innings in his first collegiate start, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts before giving way to Daniel Holder in the second. Holder (3.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5K) was one of seven ECU pitchers to make an appearance in the game. Josh Ruhlman (0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB), Seth Simmons (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K), Matt Laney (1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB) and Brad Mincey (1.0 IP, 2 K) all saw action on the bump.

David Wagner suffered the loss for the Monarchs, despite pitching brilliantly for three innings. He finished the game working 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, four runs (all earned) with two walks and two punch outs. Wagner relieved Robbie Watkins and held the Pirates to just one run during the seventh, eighth and ninth frames before allowing two consecutive hits and a walk in the tenth frame. Kyle Hald lasted three innings in his first career start giving up seven hits, seven runs (four earned), two walks and one strikeout. Carter worked the final inning allowing for runs on two hits.

Trailing by one, 13-12, with one out in the ninth, Ray laced a triple to right-center to start the Pirate rally. Justin Bristow reached on a fielder's choice that saw Ray get caught in a run down for the second out of the inning. After Trent Ashcraft pinch ran for Bristow, Harrington fouled off five consecutive pitches on a 1-2 count before his RBI single to right field knotted the game at 13.

The Pirates put three runs on the board in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Eldridge and Wood led off with back-to-back singles before scoring on Buss' error. Kemp drove in the final run on his sac fly to center that scored Batts.

ODU scored tied the game at three behind four consecutive hits in the bottom of the first. Max Most singled to right with one out and moved to second on Bryan Cipolla's single to right. Both Most and Cipolla scored on David Burns' two-RBI double to left center. The Monarchs final run of the inning came when Anthony Shawler doubled to left-center scoring Burns.

Both teams plated runs in the second inning, making the score 4-4 after two frames. ECU took a 7-5 at the end of three behind Kemps two-RBI double down the left field line. Harrington drove in a run with a double to right-center scoring Ray.

In the bottom of the fourth, ODU tied the game at seven. Cipolla drew a two-out walk and scored on Burns' two-run home run to left field.

Eldridge's three-run shot in the fifth and back-to-back jacks by Henderson and Kemp in the sixth, gave ECU a 12-7 advantage.

But once again ODU came storming back and three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a 13-12 lead after seven full frames setting up the Pirates dramatic comeback.

The Pirates will continue their two day road swing when they head to Richmond, Va. to face VCU on Wednesday, March 5 at 3 p.m.

GAME NOTES:

Dustin Harrington recorded his first collegiate start at the hot corner for the Pirates. He finished the game going 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.

Harrison Eldridge set career-highs in at-bats (7), RBI (6) and tied his career-high with four hits. He smacked his first home run of the season in the fifth inning (3-run shot) and also drove in three runs in the top of the tenth.

Corey Kemp was 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, two walks and hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning.

Brandon Henderson hit his team leading third home run in the sixth inning and finished with two RBI.

Stephen Batts collected three hits, running his current hitting streak to seven games. He has hit safely in 36 of his last 37 games dating back to the 2007 season.

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