ECU Complete Sweep Of UAB, 8-7

May 3, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 30 East Carolina completed the doubleheader and weekend seried sweep of Conference USA foe UAB 8-7 Saturday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium to extend its current winning streak to nine games and its home win streak to 12. With the win ECU impoves to 36-13 overall and 11-7 in league play, while UAB falls to 19-27 and 4-14.

T.J. Hose picked up his fifth win of the season going 5.2 innings where he allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Freshman Sthil Sowers notched his first career save working two-thirds of an inning giving up one hit. Josh Ruhlman worked 1.2 innings of relief allowing three runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Seth Simmons bridged the gap to Sowers going one inning allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts.

Kyle Roberson fell to 4-6 on the season after working six innings where he allowed five runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Brandon Wallace relieved Roberson in the seventh throwing 1.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits before Beau Pender closed out the game with one strikeout.

Stephen Batts stroked his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the first to give ECU an early 1-0 lead.

Jonathan Merritt led off the fourth inning with a solo shot to right field to tie the game at one.

ECU took a 3-1 lead in the fifth frame thanks to a Dustin Harrington home run and a Harrison Eldridge RBI single. After Harrington's home run, Trent Ashcraft doubled down the left field line then came home on Eldridge's shot through the right side.

Ashcraft pushed the Pirates lead to three, 4-1, with an RBI single up the middle that scored Kyle Roller from third. Roller led off the inning with an infield single then took second on Harrington's sac bunt and third on a wild pitch.

Brandon Henderson and Ashcraft each drove in a run in the Pirates two-run seventh that made the score 6-1. Corey Kemp was plunked by a Roberson pitch in the shoulder to lead off the inning then moved over to second on a passed ball before coming home on Henderson's single to left. Harrington moved Henderson over with his third hit of the night, a single to left, just before Ashcraft drove in Henderson for his second RBI of the contest.

UAB closed the lead to one, 6-5, after putting up a four-spot in the eighth inning on home runs by Ryan Keedy and Luke Stewart. Merritt led off with a walk then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Nick Crawford walked to put runners on first and second before Phil Bell reached on a fielder's choice moving Merritt to third. Keedy cleared the bases with a three-run shot bringing home Merritt and Bell. After Cody McMurry strucko out, Stewart hit a solo shot to center field.

ECU cushioned its lead, 8-5, in the eighth plating two runs. Broc Sutton smacked is third home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. Austin Homan drove in his fifth run of the season on a bases loaded walk that scored Batts.

UAB put a scare into the Pirates in the top of the ninth plating two runs to cut the lead to one, 8-7 before Sowers was able get McMurry to ground out to short.

The Pirates will be back in action on Friday, May 9 when they host Tulane in a three-game C-USA series.

GAME NOTES:

Attendance: 3,464 (19th largest crowd at Clark-LeClair Stadium).

T.J. Hose moved into second place on the schools all-time games started list with his start against UAB and now has 49 for his career. With the win he improves to 21-17 for his career.

Stephen Batts homered for the seventh time this season and drove in his 40th RBI in the first inning. He collected his 54th career multi-hit game after going 2-for-5.

Dustin Harrington extended his current hitting streak to seven games with a bunt single in the second inning. His solo home run in the fifth inning snapped a 116 at-bat drought. He recorded his 17th multi-hit game of the season with his three hit performance at the dish.

Harrison Eldridge extended his hitting streak to a season-long nine games with a single up the middle in the third inning. Eldridge picked up his 79th career multi-hit game of his career with his three-hit performance on the night.

Trent Ashcraft recorded his first multi-hit game of the season with a single up the middle and finished the game with a career-high three hits. He also had two RBI on the night.

ECU recorded 14 hits on the night marking the 34th game this year they have reached double digits in hits.

ECU picked up its fourth C-USA series win and its second weekend sweep of a C-USA foe (Marshall 4/11-4/13).

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