Softball Faces Maryland For Two
March 09, 2011 | Softball
March 9, 2011
| East Carolina Games 22-23: Maryland | |
| Date | Wednesday, March 9 |
| Times | 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET |
| Location | College Park, Md. (Robert E. Taylor Stadium) |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | Maryland |
| Statistics | East Carolina | Maryland |
| Internet Coverage | Game 1 Gametracker | Game 2 Gametracker | Listen Live |
| Pirate Softball Central |
Gameday Central | Roster |
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - East Carolina wraps up its early-season schedule Wednesday and Thursday against Maryland (8-7) and Maine (7-15). The Pirates play a doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m. in College Park Wednesday against the Terrapins.
Last time out, at the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., East Carolina went 4-1 with the lone setback occurring against host and No. 9 Arizona State. The Pirates posted a .312 team batting average during the five games with freshman Rebecca Lee's .625 mark leading the way. Freshman Alex Fieldhouse paced the team with six runs batted in and four scored while classmate Kristi Oshiro also scored four times. Junior Faith Sutton won all three of her starts and struck out 20 while issuing only three walks. Opponents hit just .183 against her.
The Pirates Against The Terrapins
East Carolina and Maryland have met nine times with the Terrapins holding a 7-2 advantage in the series. The programs split the first four meetings but Maryland has claimed the last five contests while outscoring ECU 20-6.
Earlier this season at the Red & Black Showcase, the Terrapins used a three-run fourth inning to top the Pirates 3-1. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning on a double steal with junior Priscilla Velasquez swiping second and classmate Suzanne Riggs coming home on the throw down to second. In the bottom of the frame, Maryland's Lexi Carroll singled to center to tie the game before a one-out double by Nikki Maier drove in two runs. Senior Toni Paisley went the distance for ECU, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out 13.
Sutton's Winning Ways
After beginning with an 0-2 record through her first four appearances, Sutton has turned it around and won her last five decisions. At the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend Sutton went 3-0 with a 2.57 earned run average.
She started the week tying her season high with eight strikeouts in a win over New Mexico State. Saturday against Northern Iowa Sutton allowed a solo home run to the game's leadoff batter but gave up just two hits the rest of the contest and fanned six. Sunday, Sutton went four innings and collected six whiffs in ECU's five-inning victory versus Northern Colorado. For the week the Greenville product struck out 20 and issued three walks.
Lee's Big Weekend
As impressive as Sutton's pitching was Lee's batting. She led the East Carolina offense last weekend, posting team-best marks in batting average (.625), walks (5), slugging percentage (1.000) and on-base percentage (.769).
Lee drove in the game-winning run against New Mexico State and the insurance score versus Northern Iowa. Saturday in games against Creighton and Northern Iowa, Lee went a combined 3-4 with a pair of sacrifice bunts and a walk. Her two-hit performance versus the Panthers was her second multiple-hit game of the year. The Mililani, Hawai'i, native did not strike out during the five games.
What A Way To Start
When leading off an inning last weekend, East Carolina batters reached base 62.1 percent of the time. Oshiro was the best of the bunch, reaching base in all six of her opportunities. Oshiro was impressive leading off the game for the Pirates, reaching all five times via three singles, a walk and a fielding error.
This season, Oshiro has reached base 17 times leading off an inning with ECU scoring in nine of those frames (52.9 percent).
First Career Long Balls
A pair of freshmen in Lee and Fieldhouse hit their first career home runs Friday against New Mexico State. Lee's was a two-run shot in the first inning that provided the game-winning RBI as the Pirates never trailed. Fieldhouse hit hers in the top of the fourth, giving ECU a 4-1 lead. Before hitting her homer over the scoreboard in left center, Fieldhouse hit a ball foul off the top of the wall in left field and another that landed inches foul in left during the at bat.
