East Carolina University
Houston
Pirates Drop Opening Game To Cougars, 8-6
May 20, 2010 | Baseball
May 20, 2010
GREENVILLE, N.C. - M.P. Cokinos' three-run home run in the third inning proved to be the game-winning hit as Houston claimed game one of the three-game Conference USA series over East Carolina 8-6 Thursday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win Houston improves to 23-29 overall and 10-12 in league play, while the Pirates drop their third game in a row and fall to 30-24 and 10-12.
The Cougars seven-run third gave them an early 7-2 lead as they held on to move one game closer to securing a spot in the 2010 C-USA Tournament, which starts Wednesday, May 26 in Houston.
Codey Morehouse started the hit barrage with a single up the middle to start the third. After Austin Gracey was called out for batter's interference, Ryan Still reached on a bunt single back to the pitcher before Blake Kelso walked to load the bases. Joel Ansley ripped a shot to right field plating Morehouse for Houston's first run of the night. Caleb Ramsey followed with a two-RBI single up the middle scoring Still and Kelso and Zak Presley singled on a bunt towards first base where Ansley touched home. Cokinos sent a Zach Woods 1-0 offering to deep left field clearing the bases with one out.
Michael Goodnight (6-7) went seven innings allowing four runs (all earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. Sophomore Matt Creel tossed the final two innings where he was tagged for two runs on two hits and three walks in the eighth inning before sitting the Pirates down in order in the ninth to preserve the win.
Woods suffered the loss falling to 8-4 on the season after giving up seven runs (all earned) on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. The junior from Virginia Beach, Va. struck out five and walked two before giving way to Kevin Brandt, who closed out the seventh frame. Redshirt freshman Shawn Armstrong made his 19th appearance out of the bullpen lasting just one-third of an inning giving up a run on two hits. Fellow classmate Jake Harris worked the final 1 2/3 innings recording a strikeout and walk.
ECU drew first blood in the bottom of the first, 2-0, when John Wooten stroked his seventh home run of the season sending a two-run shot to left center scoring Kyle Roller in front of him. Roller, who was 0-for-3 on the night, drew the first of his two walks before Wooten's blast.
Devin Harris cranked a two-run homer to left center in the sixth inning pulling ECU within three, 7-4. Wooten reached on an infield single and took second on Austin Homan's field choice shortly before Harris hit his first round-tripper in conference play and 10th on the season, which plated Homan.
Chris Wallace gave the Cougars an insurance run in the eighth on a solo shot to right center off Armstrong pushing its lead to four, 8-4.
The Pirates tried to claw their way back into the game scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the eighth. Creel issued back-to-back walks to Roller and Wooten before Jared Avchen loaded the bases with a single through the left side. Roller touched home on Homan's ground out to second and Harris loaded the bases again with the Pirates third free pass of the stanza. Freshman Chris Gosik singled home Wooten with a line drive just out of gloves reach of Kelso keeping the bases loaded for Whitehead, who ended the inning by lining out to Gracey.
Offensively the Pirates were held to just seven hits with Wooten registering the only multi-hit game of the night. All six of ECU's runs came with two outs pushing its season total to 184.
Friday's game, which has been designated as Senior Night, is scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. (EDT) and will be televised on CBS College Sports. Before the first pitch, ECU will honor seniors Jared Avchen, Kyle Roller, Mike Mieszanek and Jonathan Tyndall starting at 7:40 p.m.
