East Carolina University
Albany
ECU Cruises To 14-3 Victory Over UAlbany
February 28, 2015 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina pounded out a season-high 18 hits en route to a series clinching 14-3 win over University at Albany Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Pirates (4-4) scored a season-high six runs in the bottom of the first frame and never looked back as six players finished with multiple hits. Luke Lowery had a game-high four base knocks with two RBI, while Hunter Allen, Bryce Harman and Jeff Nelson each contributed with three. Allen and Harman each drove in three runs, while five players scored twice in the contest.
With one out in the first, Charlie Yorgen and Harman reached on consecutive singles and Lowery loaded the bases with a walk for Eric Tyler, who was hit by a Cameron Sorgie pitch that plated ECU's first run. Jeff Nelson followed with a check-swing single pushing Harman across and Kirk Morgan slapped an RBI base hit to right field scoring Lowery and chasing Sorgie from the game.
The inning continued when Travis Watkins drew a bases loaded walk off of Sam DeCelle allowing Tyler to cross home, and Allen followed with a two-RBI single to left scoring Nelson and Morgan to cap the frame at 6-0.
Jimmy Boyd (1-1) notched his first win of the year for ECU tossing two innings of scoreless relief. Starter Jacob Wolfe went four innings allowing three runs (all earned) on five hits with four strikeouts, three coming in the third frame. The Pirates would close out the contest on the mound with Joe Ingle, Evan Voliva and Luke Bolka working scoreless frames out of the bullpen.
Sorgie (0-2) took the loss for the Great Danes (1-4) lasting one-third of an inning where he was touched for six runs (all earned) on four hits. DeCelle worked 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, while Charlie Peltz allowed five runs (all unearned) on three hits in 1.2 innings. Rounding out UAlbany's pitchers on the afternoon were Michael Adams (2.1 IP, 3 runs) and Terry Dugdale (2.0 IP).
Holding a 6-0 advantage going to the bottom of the third, ECU pushed across a pair of runs on Harman's two-out, two-RBI single to center that plated Watkins and Reid Love making it an 8-0 game.
UAlbany answered with three runs in the top half of the fourth thanks to a bases clearing double by Eric Mueller that cut the Pirate lead to five, 8-3. Trevor DeMerritt reached on an infield single, Matt Hinchy walked and Shawn Blake loaded the bases with the Great Danes second infield hit of the frame. With the bases loaded, Mueller doubled down the left field line plating all three runs for UAlbany on the day.
Over the next three frames, ECU scored six runs pushing its lead to 14-3. Love and Lowery each had RBI singles in the fourth frame, while Allen drove in his third run of the game in the fifth with a double to left center. The final two runs in the sixth came off consecutive base knocks by Harman (double) and Lowery (single).
The Pirates benefited from six Great Dane fielding miscues, five hit batters and two free passes, while striking out just twice in 43 at-bats.
ECU will return to the field Sunday afternoon looking to complete the series sweep at Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EST).
