East Carolina University
Houston
ECU Drops Game One Against Houston, 5-4
May 08, 2009 | Baseball
May 8, 2009
HOUSTON, Texas - Blake Kelso scored on a bases loaded wild pitch in the seventh inning prevailing Houston to a 5-4 win over No. 22 East Carolina Friday night in Conference USA action at Cougar Field. With the win, the Cougars improve to 24-25 overall and 12-7 in league play, while the Pirates fall to 35-15 on the season and 12-7 in conference action.
With the game tied at four in the seventh frame, Kelso reached on a fielding error by Dustin Harrington to start the frame. William Kankel followed with a walk just before the Pirates made a pitching change bringing in Kevin Brandt in relief of Bailey Daniels to face Caleb Ramsey, laid down a sac bunt moving both runners into scoring position.
The third pitching change of the inning saw Head Coach Billy Godwin bring in closer Seth Simmons to face off against Chase Dempsay, who fouled out to first base. Zak Presley loaded the bases when he was plunked by a Simmons pitch setting up the game-winning run.
Dempsay (3-0), who was the starting designated hitter, got the win after working 1 1/3 inning of relief where he allowed two hits and walked one. Houston starter Jared Ray went 5 2/3 innings giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. Donnie Joseph notched his eighth save of the season working a scoreless final two innings with four punch outs and two walks.
Daniels suffered the loss for the Pirates falling to 1-2 on the year after facing a pair of hitters in the seventh with one walk. Chris Heston allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in six innings of work. Brandt pitched a third of an inning and pushed his consecutive scoreless streak to 22 innings before being lifted for Simmons in the seventh. Simmons tossed the final 1 2/3 frames allowing a walk and striking out one.
Houston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to three consecutive hits to start the frame. Kelso doubled when Trent Whitehead dove for ball in short centerfield. Kankel followed with a single to left putting runners on the corners for Ramsey, who also singled to left pushing across Kelso for the game's first run.
Stephen Batts' second single of the day drove in Jared Avchen from second base knotting the game at one in the third. Avchen reached base when he was plunked by a Ray pitch then moved to second when Ryan Wood was hit by another Ray pitch setting up Batts'43rd RBI of the season on a sharp hit ball to third that caromed of the third basemen's glove.
Ramsey gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the third when he took a 1-0 offering down the left field line for his fourth homer of the season and second RBI of the game.
The Pirates answered in the top of the fourth on Harrington's ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot down the left field line, giving ECU a 3-2 advantage. Devin Harris led off the frame with a single to left field before crossing home on Harington's at-bat.
Kelso's single to center gave Houston a 4-3 lead in the fourth. Taylor White tied the game at three on a sac fly to left-center. Chris Wallace reached after being hit in the hand by Heston then took second when David Murphy singled through the left side. After a fielder's choice put runners on first and third, White hit a ball to deep left-center that was tracked down by Whitehead, but did the job as Wallace touched home. A wild pitch put Jake Runte into scoring position just before he crossed the plate on Kelso's second base knock of the game.
Whitehead's single through the right side scored Harris from second base tying the game at four in the sixth frame. Harris drew a leadoff walk then took second on a two-out infield single to second off the bat of Avchen before Whitehead dribbled a shot to right plating Harris.
Offensively for the Pirates, Batts led the way picking up his 77th career multi-hit game going 3-for-5 from the dish with an RBI. Harrington recorded his 20th career multi-RBI game driving in a pair of runs on a 1-for-4 outing.
The Pirates and Cougars, who are tied for second place in the league standings, will play game two of the three-game tilt Saturday night when Seth Maness takes the mound for ECU and Wes Musick toes the rubber for Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (EDT).
