East Carolina University
Hawai'i
East Carolina Shutout at Hawaii, 5-0
March 11, 2015 | Softball
HONOLULU, Hawaii - The East Carolina softball team tallied nine hits, but left nine runners on base, the as Pirates dropped a 5-0 contest to Hawaii Tuesday night at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
ECU (7-16) started the game with two singles from Mary-Sloan Bradford and Abby Wynne in the top of the first, however, Hawaii (17-9) starting pitcher, Brittany Hitchcock (8-3), managed to get out of the jam without allowing a run to score.
That would be the story of the night for Hitchcock as she scattered nine hits in 7.0 innings of work while not allowing a walk or a run. She fanned six as she tossed 100 pitches in the win for the Rainbow Wahine.
ECU freshman right-hander Ashley Cruise (2-7) matched Hitchcock in the circle as she allowed just two earned runs (five runs) on seven hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. Cruise had two innings in which she allowed the Rainbow Wahine to get to her, but she did well getting back into her rhythm.
After allowing two runs in the top of the first, Cruise settled in and recorded five strikeouts en route to retiring 11 consecutive batters over 3.2 innings of work. However, she hit a bump in the road and surrendered three runs in the fifth, including a two-run homer by Keiki Carlos.
The Pirates put nine runners on base with eight singles and a double, but were unable to capitalize as they stranded nine base runners over the course of seven innings.
Freshman right fielder Mary-Sloan Bradford finished the game going 3-for-4 with three singles, while sophomore designated player Kacie Oshiro went 3-for-3 as she improved her batting average to a team-leading .395.
Additionally, Wynne and Ali Ramirez each notched a base hit, while Meredith Mitchell recorded the Pirates' only extra-base hit of the game, a double to left-centerfield in the top of the seventh.
Carlos, Hawaii's right fielder, finished the ballgame going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. She was the only Rainbow Wahine to record a multi-hit game.
East Carolina travels to Norman, Okla., to take on Iowa and No. 6 Oklahoma in the Oklahoma Classic which runs from Saturday, March 14 - Sunday, March 15.
