East Carolina University
UNC-Wilmington
No. 19 ECU Blanks No. 26 UNCW, 3-0
March 25, 2009 | Baseball
March 25, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. - A trio of underclassmen in Brad Mincey, Kevin Brandt and Seth Maness combined to toss an eight-hit shutout as No. 19 East Carolina picked up a 3-0 win over in-state rival No. 26 UNC Wilmington Wednesday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
ECU improves to 18-4 overall with the win matching its best start since the 2004 season and extending its current winning streak to eight games.
Mincey (4-1) made his first start of the season and first since April 29 of last year, which was also against the Seahawks. The sophomore righty tossed 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball allowing six hits with four strikeouts and a pair of free passes.
Brandt (1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 Ks), who made his seventh appearance out of the bullpen, relieved Mincey in the sixth and got out of a bases loaded jam after fanning pinch hitter Alex Hill and forcing Ben Thielsen into an inning ending fielder's choice where Ryan Wood flipped the grounder over to Dustin Harrington getting Andrew Cain out at second. Seth Maness recorded his first career save after working two full innings where he fanned three and allowed a hit.
Justin Bradley (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year for Seahawks (17-5) after allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits with a walk and strikeout in 4 2/3 innings of work. Steven Davis (2.1 IP, 2 Ks) and Bryan Booth (1.0 IP) silenced the Pirate bats over the final 3 1/3 innings holding them hitless.
Kyle Roller recorded his second consecutive game-winning RBI when he drove in the first Pirate run of the game in the first inning. Trent Whitehead led off the frame with a single up the middle then took second on a passed ball before coming home on Roller's single through the right side putting ECU 1-0.
Devin Harris increased ECU's lead to 2-0 in the fourth frame with an RBI single to left field that scored Roller from second. Roller led off the inning with a double down the right field line, his second base hit of the contest.
Stephen Batts pushed across the Pirates final run of the game on a fielder's choice in the fifth making the score 3-0. Whitehead drew a one-out walk then took third on Ryan Wood's double down the right field line. Batts followed with a laser shot deep in the hole at short, which Mike Rooney promptly flipped over to third for the second out of the inning as Whitehead touched home.
The Pirates will hit the road this weekend for their first Conference USA road series of the season when they travel to Charleston, WVa. to take on Marshall at Appalachian Power Park. Game times for the weekend are scheduled for 6 p.m. for both Friday and Saturday with Sunday's game starting at 1 p.m. EDT.
Post-Game Notes:
