Pirates Earn Saturday Sweep

Feb. 19, 2011

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina continued action at the Pirate Classic Saturday afternoon, earning a pair of victories by defeating Hofstra 5-0 and Kent State 3-1. The Pirates (6-4) picked up the wins in front of an ECU Softball Stadium-record 658 fans. Against the Pride (4-3) in game one, junior Suzanne Riggs and freshman Alex Fieldhouse each collected two hits with Riggs driving in two runs and Fieldhouse one. During the second contest against the Golden Flashes (3-5), freshman Rebecca Lee plated the game-winning run  and was 3-3 with a walk.

Senior Toni Paisley (5-2) recorded the win in the opener, throwing all seven innings against Hofstra. She limited the Pride to three hits and a walk while striking out eight, including the first three of the contest. Of Paisley's five wins this season, all have been solo or combined shutouts. Erin Wade (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season for Hofstra, going six innings and allowing five runs, but only one earned. She struck out six and scattered eight hits and a walk.

Junior Faith Sutton (1-2) earned her first victory of the season in the nightcap. She threw four innings, allowed four hits and one run while fanning six. Paisley earned her first save of the campaign and sixth of her career by throwing the final three innings. She gave up one hit and struck out four. Lauren McNeil (0-4) took the tough-luck loss for Kent State, going the distance and scattering eight hits. She allowed three walks and struck out four batters.

In the opener, East Carolina took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on back-to-back RBI singles from junior Priscilla Velasquez and Fieldhouse. Freshman Kristi Oshiro worked a walk to lead off the half inning. After a strikeout, Riggs singled through the left side, putting runners on first and second. A passed ball by the Hofstra catcher allowed both runners to move up a base. Oshiro came home with the game-winning run on a single to right field from Velasquez. With Riggs on third and Velasquez on first, Fieldhouse also sent one through the right side to plate Riggs. A groundout ended the inning for the Pirates.

Hofstra recorded its first hit of the game in the top of the third when Rachael Senatore bunted for a hit with two outs. Paisley retired shortstop Trisha Dreslinski on a pop out to end the inning.

The Pirates mounted a scoring threat in the bottom of the inning but could not convert. Lee reached on an infield single to start the frame. Riggs then hit a grounder to Dreslinski, who threw to the second baseman covering the bag, but she dropped the throw. Velasquez laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Lee to third and Riggs to second with one out. The Pride avoided damage with a pair of pop outs.

In the bottom of the fourth, East Carolina broke the game open with three two-out unearned runs. Freshman Jordan Lewis led off with a double that landed just inside the left-field line. Wade hit freshman Jasmine Robbins with the next pitch, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Classmate Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, leaving Lewis on third and Robbins on second with one out. After a groundout, Lee rolled a ball to the second baseman, who couldn't make the play. Lee was safe at first on the error and Lewis came home. Riggs followed with a two-run double over the center fielder's head, driving in Robbins and Lee for a 5-0 lead. A strikeout by Velasquez ended the threat.

The Pirates had a chance to add more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning but could not push one across. Fieldhouse led off the bottom of the frame with a shot up the middle that bounced off Wade for a single. Freshman Taylor Megargel entered to pinch run and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Abby Wynne. Lewis struck out before senior pinch hitter Sissy Jimenez singled to Dreslinski in the hole, advancing Megargel to third. A groundout by sophomore pinch hitter Cicely Lopez was the final out.

The Pride tried to rally in the top of the sixth but failed to score. Dreslinski received a one-out walk and Jess Hirschbuhl followed with a single to left center. Paisley was able to rebound and retired the next two batters on a foul out and pop out.

Paisley retired the Pride in order in the top of the seventh to end the contest and seal her second shutout victory of the Pirate Classic.

In the nightcap, Sutton worked out of a jam in the bottom of the first with Kent State playing as the home team. Jessica Grimes doubled over the head of Riggs in left field and moved to third on a passed ball. Sutton induced a foul out from Alex Marcantonio and struck out the next two batters to escape without damage.

After getting out of trouble, East Carolina scored the game's first run in the top of the second. With one out, Lewis walked and sophomore Kai Clark singled through the right side, moving Lewis to third. Robbins drove in Lewis with a groundout to the shortstop before another groundout closed the ECU half inning.

Both teams went quietly until the top of the fifth, when the Pirates added another run for a 2-0 lead. Clark led off with a double to right field. After a groundout, Jimenez entered as a pinch hitter and singled to right field, putting runners on the corners. Oshiro lined out to the left fielder on the first pitch she saw, but Lee came through with two outs, singling to left to plate Clark. A strikeout ended the East Carolina threat.

In the bottom of the inning, Kent State answered with a run to make it a 2-1 game. Jessica Blanton led off with a double to the gap in right center and was replaced by pinch runner Lauren Mokler. Shannon Laughlin followed with a single to left field to put runners on the corners with no outs. The single chased Sutton and brought Paisley into the second game. Abbey Ledford sent a grounder back to Paisley, who held Mokler at third and retired Ledford at first. Sarah Starr drove in Mokler with an infield single to make it a one-run game. Paisley escaped without further damage with a fly out to center field and by striking out Marcantonio looking.

The Pirates got that run back in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Clark. Velasquez led off with a single to right and was replaced by pinch runner Megargel. Fieldhouse advanced Megargel to second with a sacrifice bunt and Megargel scored on Clark's foul out to the second baseman. Megargel slid in front of the catcher and just touched the corner of home plate to avoid the tag.

Paisley struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh to pick up the save.

East Carolina completes play at the Pirate Classic tomorrow morning with a rematch against St. John's. The game is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.

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