ECU Falls To Rice In Extra Innings, 5-4

April 20, 2008

HOUSTON, Texas - Chad Mozingo drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning that scored Diego Seastrunk and gave No. 7 Rice a 5-4 victory over No. 23 East Carolina Saturday night at Reckling Park in Conference USA action.

With the score knotted at four heading into the bottom of the tenth, Harrison Eldridge seemed to make an outstanding sliding catch in right-center, but the officials ruled it a hit and Seastrunk was credited with a leadoff double. Aaron Luna then drew an intentional walk then Rick Hague laid down a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third. After another intentional walk, this time to Adam Zornes, loaded the bases, Mozingo drove in the winning run on a walk.

Cole St. Clair improved to 6-2 on the season for Rice (30-10, 12-2) after working 2.1 innings of relief allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Starter Chris Kelley lasted four innings giving up three runs on 10 hits with four punch outs. Bryan Price (1.0, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K) and Matt Evers (2.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K) bridged the gap to St. Clair.

Josh Ruhlman suffered his second loss of the season for ECU (27-12, 8-6) falling to 3-2. He allowed one run on three hits with five walks (three intentional) and two strikeouts. Freshman Seth Maness went 6.1 innings allowing four runs (all in the first frame) with seven strikeouts and one walk.

ECU jumped out to an early 1-0 in the first inning on three consecutive hits. With one out, Ryan Wood singled up the middle, which was followed by a single by Stephen Batts putting runners on first and second for Corey Kemp. Kemp extended his current hit streak to 16 games with an RBI single to right-center that scored Wood.

Rice answered the Pirates in the bottom of the first by putting a four-spot on the board for a 4-1 lead. J.P. Padron drove in the first run with a single up the middle that scored Jared Gayhart from second. Gayhart singled up the middle to get the inning going then stole second before Padron's at-bat. With one out, Aaron Luna singled and advanced to second on throwing error by Dustin Harrington putting runners on second and third. After Maness struck out Rick Hague, Adam Zornes hit his second home run of the series, a three-run shot to center field.

ECU pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth cutting into Rice's lead, 4-3. Harrison Eldridge led off the frame with a double down the right field line and came home on Wood's single down the right field line. Batts followed with another single to put runners on first and second for Kemp who walked to load the bases for Henderson. Henderson reached on a fielder's choice scoring Wood.

ECU knotted the game at four in the sixth inning on Wood's sac fly to center that scored Dustin Harrington from third. Harrington singled up the middle to led off the frame and moved to third on Trent Whitehead's single to right field.

The Pirates and Owls will wrap-up the three game series Sunday afternoon with a scheduled first pitch for 2 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES:

Corey Kemp extended his current hitting streak to 16 games which is tied for the eighth longest hitting streak in school history.

Jamie Ray extended his current hit streak to nine games with his single in the second inning. Ray finished the game with two hits, his 32 career multi-hit game.

Stephen Batts extended his hit streak to eight games with his single up the middle in the first. He finished with two hits and collected his 50th career multi-hit game.

Harrison Eldridge doubled down the right field line in the fifth inning and moved into a tie for third on ECU's career doubles list with 50.

Ryan Wood recorded his 51st multi-hit game of the season with his single to right field in the fifth that scored Harrison Eldridge. He finished the game with three hits and drove in two runs.

Trent Whitehead set a career-high in hits going 3-for-4 on the night picking up his sixth multi-hit game of his career.

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