East Carolina University
Tulsa
Pirates Suffer Sweep in Annual Strike Out Cancer Game
April 11, 2015 | Softball
Game 1 Box Score 
| Game 2 Box Score
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team donned pink uniforms in support of breast cancer awareness Saturday as the Pirates dropped a doubleheader to Tulsa by scores of 5-0 and 4-1 at ECU Softball Stadium. With the pair of losses, ECU falls to 11-31 on the year and 3-8 in American Athletic Conference action, while Tulsa improves to 25-15 overall and 7-4 in league action.
"Right now we need to work on making the key hit, making the key pitch," Interim head coach Steve Jaecks said. "We also have to make the key decision to win the game. It is pretty simple."
Tulsa jumped on the board early in game one as the Golden Hurricane tallied runs in the first and second innings to take a quick 2-0 advantage over East Carolina.
The Pirates' bats struggled as they were unable to record a base hit until the fourth inning when Abby Wynne singled to left field. Ciara Ervin, who reached on a fielding error, raced around the bases but was thrown out trying to score ending the inning.
Senior right-hander Sarah Christian (5-11) kept the game close until the fifth inning. In that frame, Christian surrendered a one-out walk and RBI-double before exiting the game to make way for Caroline Umphlett, also a senior righty. Umphlett came in and allowed Christian's base runner to score before giving up a run of her own and getting out of the inning on a double play line out to Ali Ramirez. But the damage had been done and Tulsa now owned a 5-0 lead.
The Pirates managed to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but were unable to capitalize as Tulsa's Caitlin Sill (7-9) pitched herself out of the jam. Sill allowed a single to Karlie Smith in the sixth, but shut down the Pirates the rest of the game as she earned her seventh complete game and third shutout of the year.
Sill scattered three hits, while striking out five and walking two in 7.0 innings of work, while Christian allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits while walking one and fanning one in 4.1 innings pitched. Umphlett tossed 2.2 innings of relief and allowed one earned run on two hits while collecting one strikeout.
Smith, Wynne and Alcorn - ECU's three, four and five hitters - were the only Pirates to connect for a base hit in the contest. Alcorn roped her team-leading eighth double of the year in the fifth to mark East Carolina's only multi-base hit of the game.
In the night cap, Tulsa's starting right-hander Emily Watson (7-3) matched Sill's earlier performance as she went the distance and held the Pirates to just three hits.
ECU's Lydia Ritchie (0-4) got the starting nod and set the Golden Hurricane down in order in their first at-bat. However, the visitors managed to take a 1-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly. Tulsa added to its lead with a solo home run in the third from Erica Sampson.
Ritchie allowed one more run in the fifth inning on another sacrifice fly before leaving the game. She pitched 5.0 innings of work and surrendered three runs, all earned, on four hits, while fanning two and walking one.
"Lydia has really stepped up," Jaecks said of his sophomore righty. "With a little bit of luck here or there, she easily could have won one or two games."
Trailing 3-0, East Carolina started off the sixth inning with a lead-off triple from Ervin as she motored around the bases as the ball rolled to the left-centerfield wall. Sophomore right fielder Kacie Oshiro drove in the Pirates' only run of the day with an RBI-single to leftfield. However, ECU's next three batters went down in order to strand Oshiro and end the rally.
Facing freshman right-hander Ashley Cruise, who relieved Ritchie, the Golden Hurricane scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh after four base hits and a sacrifice bunt.
The Pirates were unable to score in the seventh as they dropped game two to Tulsa, 4-1.
Watson picked up her seventh win of the season to go along with her sixth complete game of the year. She allowed one earned run on three hits, with four strikeouts and two walks.
Oshiro finished the game batting 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Ervin went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Cruise pitched 2.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits.
"It is introspection time," Jaecks said. "We have to come in there and compete at a very hard, high level and decide if we want to win. We will see what happens tomorrow."
East Carolina will be back in action Sunday, April 12 when it hosts Tulsa in the series finale at 11 a.m. Live stats and video will be available on ECUPirates.com. Sunday is Girl Scouts Day as well as Exceptional Community Baseball League Day. Pre-ordered group tickets are offered at a $1 rate for Girl Scouts and ECBL members can also receive $1 admission. Lunch bags and folders will be given away to the first 100 fans in attendance.
