East Carolina University
USF
Pirates Drop Game 2 And Series To Bulls, 10-0
April 12, 2015 | Baseball
TAMPA, Fla. - Levi Borders recorded three hits and drove in six runs helping USF (24-11-1, 7-1) to a 10-0 American Athletic Conference win over East Carolina (20-15, 3-5) Saturday night at USF Baseball Stadium.
Casey Mulholland (4-4) tossed eight shutout innings scattering seven hits and striking out 10 in the Bulls series-clinching win. Brandon Lawson worked a scoreless ninth fanning three of the four batters he faced.
Evan Kruczynski (5-2) was touched for seven runs (all earned) on 10 hits with a pair of walks and four punch-outs in four innings of work. Ross Gardner surrendered three runs (all earned) on three hits in two-thirds of an inning, while Evan Voliva walked one and fanned three in two scoreless frames of relief. Luke Bolka stuck out a career-high four batters, including the side in the eighth, while allowing a hit and walk in 1.1 innings.
USF doubled up ECU in the hit column (14-7) getting eight of its base knocks from the top three hitters in the lineup (Kyle Teaf/2, Kevin Merrell/3, Levi Borders/3) - all nine of the Bulls starters registered one hit. The top three also combined to drive in seven runs while also scoring seven. Levi Borders cranked his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the first inning.
Hunter Allen led the Pirates with a pair of hits posting his sixth multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance. Five other ECU hitters (Ryan Clinch, Jackson Mims, Jeff Nelson, Travis Watkins and Charlie Yorgen) collected one hit on the night.
UP NEXT:
ECU and USF will conclude the three-game series Sunday morning with an 11 a.m. (ET) first pitch ... Game time was moved up 90 minutes due to potential rain in the area later in the afternoon.
How It Happened:
Levi Borders two-run homer highlighted the Bulls three-run first inning and they never looked back. Kyle Teaf led off the frame with a double to left center and came around to score on Kevin Merrell's RBI single back up the middle. Levi Borders stepped to the plate taking a 1-1 offering from Kruczynski over the wall in left center.
USF extended its lead to 7-0 in the fourth using four hits and a Pirate error. Austin Lueck scored the first run when Jackson Mims over threw Bryce Harman at first on Merrell's bunt single. Levi Borders's drove in Teaf and Merrell with a double to right center. Two batters later Luke Borders drove in his brother (Levi) with a single to right center capping the frame.
An RBI single by Lueck and a two-RBI double by Levi Borders pushed the Bulls lead to 10-0 in the fifth frame. Lueck singled home Daniel Portales for the first run and Levi Borders third extra base hit of the contest (second double) cleared the bases plating Lueck and Merrell.
Inside The Box Score:
USF collected seven hits with RISP, advanced runners at a 53.6 percent clip (15-for-28), had five two-out hits and was 10-for-26 with runners on base ... ECU had 10 runners in scoring position but was unable to capitalize going 0-for-10 ... The Pirates managed just one two-out hit (113 on the season) and two base knocks with runners on base ... Both teams left 10 runners on base in the contest.
Game Notes:
The game was delayed nearly 90 minutes due to lightning in the area ... Reid Love's eight game hit streak came to an end with an 0-for-3 performance ... Allen and Eric Tyler reached base twice in the game ... ECU suffered its second shutout of the season (other was at NC State on Mar. 3, 7-0) ... Bolka worked a career-best 1.1 innings of relief, while Voliva tied his career-high ... Kruczynski's four innings was the shortest outing of this career as a starter ... ECU failed to draw a walk for just the third time this season, while its 13 strikeouts at the plate were a season high ... The 12 punch-outs for the pitching staff marks the fifth time this season they have posted double-digit strikeouts.
