Pirate Rally Comes Up Short In Ninth, 5-4

May 9, 2008

GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 28 Tulane held off a ninth inning rally by No. 21 East Carolina and took a 5-4 win in game one of a three-game Conference USA series Friday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the loss, ECU had its nine-game winning streak and 13-game home winning streak snapped.

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, ECU (36-14, 11-8) got three consecutive hits with two outs to draw the score to 5-4. Dustin Harrington singled through the left side and came around on Drew Schieber's second hit of the game, a double that hit off the left-center field wall. Harrison Eldridge plated the Pirates final run of the game with a double down the right field line scoring Schieber before Ryan Wood grounded out to short to end the game.

Shooter Hunt improved to 9-1 for the Green Wave (34-15-1, 11-6-1) after allowing one run on five hits with nine strikeouts and three walks in seven innings. Rob Segedin picked up his fourth save of the season after working the ninth innings where he gave up two runs on three hits and a strikeout. Mason Griffin bridged the gap between Hunt and Segedin allowing one run on one hit.

Seth Maness (8-1) suffered his first loss of the season going 4.1 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with two walks. Sthil Sowers pitched three innings of scoreless relief allowing three hits, two walks and a punch out. Brett Butts fanned three batters in one inning of work and Josh Ruhlman made his league leading 28th appearance working the final 2/3 of the game.

Tulane took an early 1-0 lead in the first when Jared Dyer singled to right field scoring Anthony Scelfo from third. Scelfo singled through the right side with one out then moved to third on Seth Henry's single to left.

Scelfo gave the Green Wave a 2-0 lead with a solo shot to right field, his 11th of the season.

Tulane extended its lead to 4-0 in the fifth on Henry's RBI single through the left side and a bases loaded walk by Andrew Rodgers. Drew Allian was plunked by a Maness pitch to lead off the frame then stole second with one out and advanced to third on a throwing error by Corey Kemp. After Henry plated Allian, Rob Segedin reached on an infield single before Dyer loaded the bases with a walk.

Wood drew the Pirates within two, 4-2, with a two-run shot to left field in the eighth. Eldridge drew an opening frame walk then came home on Wood's 12th homer of the year.

Sam Honeck's sac fly to right field in the ninth put Tulane up 5-2. Dyer reached on an error by Eldridge and ended up on third base for Honeck.

The Pirates and Green Wave will play a doubleheader Saturday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES:

Stephen Batts extended his current hitting streak to five games with a two-out triple to right-center. It was his sixth career triple.

Drew Schieber was 2-for-4 in his first game back since March 23 (Houston) and extended his current hit streak to nine games.

Harrison Eldridge moved into sole possession of second place on ECU's all-time walks charts (116). He finished the game 1-for-4 with a double, the 54th of his career, which moved him into a tie for second place on the schools all-time charts. Eldridge extended his current hitting streak to 10 games.

Ryan Wood hit his 12th home run of the season, a two-run shot, on the first pitch he saw from Mason Griffin. It was his 18th career multi-RBI game.

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