East Carolina University
Delaware State
East Carolina Sweeps Season-Opening Doubleheader
February 06, 2015 | Softball
ECU-Oakland Box Score 
| ECU-Delaware State Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team showed its offensive prowess as the Pirates hit .353 as a team en route to sweeping a pair of season-opening doubleheaders at the Pirate Classic. ECU pounded out seven runs on 10 hits to defeat Oakland, 7-3, in the first game before coming back out and shutting down Delaware State, 10-0, in five innings in the night cap.
The Pirates (2-0) received run support from sophomore first baseman Ali Ramirez who drove in three runs in each game. Ramirez finished the day going 4-for-4 with a slugging percentage of 1.750 and a perfect on-base percentage. She registered a double and a triple while scoring a run and drawing three walks.
Additionally, senior right-handed pitchers Caroline Umphlett (1-0) and Sarah Christian (1-0) were solid in the circle. Umphlett pitched six shutout-innings before allowing three runs in the seventh. She notched six strikeouts, with two walks while surrendering six hits in a complete-game victory. Christian earned the starting nod in the second game and hurled 5.0 innings in which she did not allow a run while giving up four hits. She fanned five without issuing a walk.
"Two wins beats two losses any day," Interim head coach Steve Jaecks said with a smile. "I think we tend to over-coach the girls too much, so it's a matter of preparation; and they were prepared today."
East Carolina got things going right off the bat as the Pirates scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning against Oakland. In the frame, ECU sent all nine batters to the plate as freshman left fielder Mary-Sloan Bradford led off the game with a walk and came around to score the first run of the season on a triple from freshman third baseman Karlie Smith. The Dagsboro, Del., native launched a shot to the gap in left-center and motored around the bases to leg out a triple.
Smith's triple seemed to set off the power surge as Ramirez came to the plate and laced a two-run double down the left field line. Ramirez plated the final run of the inning as sophomore designated player Ciara Ervin sent the first pitch she saw into centerfield for an RBI-double.
The Pirates added to their 4-0 lead as they tallied one run in the second when Ramirez drew a bases-loaded walk to score Bradford. ECU wasn't done scoring yet as junior shortstop Casey Alcorn belted a two-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth to give ECU a 7-0 advantage.
Umphlett kept the Golden Grizzlies in check as she tossed 6.0 scoreless innings before allowing Oakland to plate three runs in the top of the seventh. The visitors sent seven batters to the plate, but their rally was cut short as Umphlett struck out pinch hitter Kaley Waalkes to end the game.
East Carolina carried its momentum from game one into the night cap as the Pirates got on the board early scoring three runs in the bottom of the first to go up 3-0 on Delaware State. Ramirez came up with two-outs and sent a 3-1 pitch to right-center for a bases loaded triple.
The Pirates struck again in the second as junior right fielder Nicole Cheek blasted a three-run homer to right field to extend East Carolina's lead to six (6-0).
The offensive explosion continued as ECU notched another run in the third before plating three in the bottom of the fifth on a walk-off double from Cheek.
Christian was impressive in the circle as she did not allow a run in 5.0 innings of work. She retired 14-of-18 batters faced and collected the victory after recording five strikeouts and surrendering just four hits.
Ramirez had a career day at the plate as she was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
"Ali reminds me a lot of me because of her game face," Jaecks said of his first baseman. "I love that about her. The thing that made her so good tonight was that she was very selective. When you become selective and maintain that aggressiveness you can be successful. She has ice in her veins; and that makes for a great ball player."
The Pittsburg, Calif., native was happy with her performance as well, remarking, "Coach gets us to try to go up there with a little bit of swagger and be relaxed. When you see that pitch; that is when you attack and really go after it. That's what we really focus on in practice. We scrimmage a lot so seeing the pitches and seeing it come from the pitcher's hand, we are ready for the game and ready to attack."
East Carolina continues the Pirate Classic Saturday, February 7, against South Carolina and Longwood at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. Live stats and video will be available on ECUPirates.com.
