Softball Hosts Rival UNC Wilmington
April 20, 2010 | Softball
April 20, 2010
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team (28-14) looks to keep its perfect record against in-state opponents intact Tuesday as it hosts rival UNC Wilmington (8-31) for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader. So far this season, the Pirates are 7-0 against North Carolina foes, outscoring Campbell, N.C. Central, UNC Greensboro and N.C. State 52-6.
Pirates Against The Seahawks ...
In UNC Wilmington, East Carolina faces a very familiar foe, as the teams have played each other 86 times, the most the Pirates have seen of any opponent in program history. ECU holds a 73-13 advantage in the all-time series with the teams playing each other at least once a year since 1985. The Pirates have won the past nine meetings while outscoring the Seahawks 71-12. ECU has not dropped a home game to UNCW since April 29, 2003.
Last season in Wilmington, the Pirates picked up 6-1 and 4-0 victories. In the first contest, Jessica Johnson and Cristen Aona each hit a two-run home run to lead the offense. Toni Paisley went all seven innings and gave up only a third-inning long ball to Kelsey Eddinger. In game two, Aona and Sarah Bibee hit backto- back homers in the fourth to support Brooke Swann's complete-game, three-hit shutout.
Kee Gets 600, 601 And 602 ...
In her 14th year as East Carolina's head coach, Tracey Kee recorded the 600th victory of her career with Saturday's 1-0 triumph over UTEP. Kee's teams have won 40 or more games in five of the past six, and 10 of the past 13, seasons, and have tallied at least 50 in four of her years as head coach.
With the victory, she became one of 45 active NCAA Division I coaches to reach the 600-win plateau. Kee began the 2010 campaign ranked 31st among Division I active coaches in winning percentage at .660.
Paisley Named Conference USA Pitcher-of-the-Week ...
After recording three shutout wins while leading East Carolina to a 5-0 week, Paisley picked up her fifth C-USA Pitcher-of-the- Week award this season. In her 22 innings pitched last week she allowed nine hits and struck out 37 batters while issuing only two walks. The trio of blankings gave her an ECU-record 34 in her career. Overall, she has won 15 of her past 16 decisions as she has allowed seven earned runs over the 107.1 innings, good for a 0.46 earned run average.
Riggs Wins It, Twice ...
Sophomore Suzanne Riggs picked up a pair of pinch-hit, twoout, game-winning singles last week. Wednesday in the opener at N.C. State, she entered in the eighth inning and sent a single up the middle to drive in senior Charina Sumner for the game's only run. In the series finale Sunday against UTEP, Riggs again played the role of hero as she drove the first pitch through the left side to plate senior Kaui Tom for the 1-0 ECU walk-off win.
Limited Runs In April ...
Paisley and sophomore Faith Sutton have been at their best in April, allowing opponents to score only eight runs in the 13 games. Paisley has a 0.22 earned run average this month while Sutton has psoted a 1.37 ERA. In the past 93 innings, foes have scored in just four of them.
Lots Of Zeros ...
This season, of the Pirates' 28 wins, 19 have been shutouts.
Locking Down On Defense ...
In April, the Pirates have committed only three errors for a .991 fielding percentage. On the other hand, opponents have 18 miscues and a .955 mark. Not surprisingly, ECU has allowed zero unearned runs this month while foes have surrendered 10.
Winning By The Slimmest Of Margins ...
After not recording a 1-0 victory since topping Boston College in eight innings Feb. 15, 2008, the Pirates picked up three such triumphs last week. East Carolina defeated N.C. State 1-0 in the opener Wednesday and UTEP by the same scores in games one and three of the series. The Pirates had not had three 1-0 wins in the same season since 2007.
