East Carolina University
Virginia
ECU Drops Season Opener To Second-Ranked Virginia, 3-1
February 13, 2015 | Baseball
Box Score 
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Game Highlights
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Second-ranked Virginia scored unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings and held off a late East Carolina rally taking the 2015 season opener for both programs 3-1 Friday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium
In an early pitching duel, Evan Kruczynski stood toe-to-toe with Kirby through three frames before Virginia capitalized on a pair of Pirate miscues. Kirby (1-0) picked up the win tossing seven scoreless innings where he scattered three hits, walk two and struck out five. Kruczynski (0-1), who was making his first collegiate start, allowed a pair of unearned runs on eight hits with a punch out in 5.1 frames suffering the loss.
After three scoreless frames, the Cavaliers struck first in the top half of the fourth when Kenny Towns scored from third on a run-down at first with Robbie Coman striking to take second on a "dirt ball" read. Towns laced a single to left with one out and two batters later landed on third thanks to Coman's single to right center. On Kruczynski's pitch in the dirt to Matt Thaiss, Coman broke for second and Travis Watkins through down to Hunter Allen. Towns was eyeing the throw to second and broke for home scoring just before Allen applied the tag on Coman to end the frame for a 1-0 Cavalier advantage.
UVA struck for its second run in the fifth when Thaiss scored on Charlie Yorgen's error at second making it a two-run game, 2-0. On a strange play to start the inning, Thaiss laced a single down the first base line that nicked the corner of the bag bouncing right towards the Cavalier dugout. Thaiss was awarded second base when the umpires ruled the ball dead after striking a photographer in the photo wells. Following two quick outs to left field, Thaiss scored from second on Yorgen's dropped fly ball in the infield.
Daniel Pinero extended the Cavaliers lead to three, 3-0, in the top half of the eight on a solo homer to left field capping Virginia scoring on the day.
But East Carolina responded in the home half of the eighth when Garrett Brooks scored from third on Jimmy Boyd's sac fly to right field. Brooks reached on an infield single and Allen moved him to third on a ground-rule double to right field. Parker Lamm, who led the Pirates with two hits, loaded the bases for Boyd after being hit by an Alec Bettinger. Virginia immediately went to its bullpen bringing in Josh Sborz to face Boyd, who greeted him with the long fly ball to right field easily plating the speedy Brooks. Sborz, who notched his first save of the season and third career, put the clamps on the Pirate threat getting Luke Lowery to fly out left to end the eighth. He would throw 10 pitches in the ninth to preserve the Cavalier win.
Pirate underclassmen Evan Voliva and Kirk Morgan experienced their first action on the mound in the Purple and Gold. Voliva spelled Kruczynski in the sixth retiring the lone batter he faced forcing an inning-ending double play. Morgan tossed 2.1 innings in relief allowing a run (earned) on two hits, while Nick Durazo worked two-thirds of an inning.
Both teams will return to the diamond early Saturday to finish the series with a doubleheader starting at 12 Noon. Sunday's game was moved up a day because of potential inclement and below freezing temperatures.
