East Carolina University
Connecticut
ECU Takes AAC Opener At UConn, 7-3
April 17, 2015 | Baseball
STORRS, Conn. - East Carolina scored five two-out runs, including four in the first inning, claiming a 7-3 opening series win at UConn in American Athletic Conference action Friday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field.
With the win the Pirates improve to 23-15 overall and 5-5 in conference play, while the Huskies drop to 24-24 and 5-5 in The American.
Evan Kruczynski (6-2), who got the start in place of the injured Reid Love, scattered eight hits over six innings of work allowing three runs (all earned). The lefty walked two and struck out a pair in his 10th start of the season. Nick Durazo picked up his second save in as many games tossing three shutout frames in relief fanning three. He allowed one runner to reach base hitting a batter in the ninth before striking out Jack Sundberg to end the contest.
UConn starter Carson Cross (7-2) was touched for six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in eight frames with six punch-outs. The right-hander, who entered the weekend series with a 1.44 ERA, gave up four runs in the first and one in each of the fifth and sixth frames before turning the game over to Ryan Radue in the ninth. Radue surrendered a run (unearned) in his outing issuing a walk and striking out one.
ECU registered double-digit hits for the third-straight game (18th of the season) out-hitting UConn 10-8 on the afternoon. Luke Lowery led the way with a 3-for-4 performance scoring twice, while Kirk Morgan returned to the lineup going 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Six different Pirates recorded RBI and scored a run in the contest.
Joe Deroche-Duffin and Sundberg tallied a pair of hits for the Huskies, while Deroche-Duffin drove in a game-high two runs. Bobby Melley scored two of UConn's three runs (Blake Davey was the other).
UP NEXT:
ECU and UConn will play game two of the three-game conference series Saturday, Apr. 18 with a 1 p.m. (ET) first pitch. The series will wrap-up Sunday afternoon at 12 Noon.
How It Happened:
ECU jumped out to an early 4-0 lead plating all four runs with two outs in the first frame. Travis Watkins singled up the middle with two away, which was followed by Eric Tyler's single through the right side putting runners on the corners. Lowery laced the first of his three hits with a shot up the middle plating Watkins for a 1-0 lead. Morgan kept the inning going with a sing to right center scoring Tyler and Bryce Harman added to the lead with a base hit to shallow left pushing across Lowery. The final run came when Parker Lamm reached on a fielding error by Willy Yahn at third base allowing Morgan to score and capping the frame at 4-0.
UConn chipped away at the Pirates lead scoring a run in the second and fourth making it a two-run game, 4-2. Deroche-Duffin doubled down the right field line scoring Melley for the Huskies first run of the contest in the second. Two frames later, Deroche-Duffin's RBI ground out scored Davey, who singled to start the innings and moved over to third on a wild pitch and a ground out to second.
Watkins' sac fly in the fifth pushed the Pirates lead back to three, 5-2, in the fifth. Allen singled to center and took second on Charlie Yorgen's sac bunt back to Cross on the mound. Allen then moved to third on a wild pitch before Watkins' lifted a Cross pitch to left field.
Each team plated a run in the sixth keeping ECU's lead at three, 6-3. Lamm's RBI single scored Lowery in the top half of the frame, while a bases loaded balk by Kruczynski gave UConn a run.
ECU added an insurance run in the ninth when Garrett Brooks scored on Allen's sac fly. After drawing a leadoff walk, Brooks navigated the bases on a wild pitch and a failed pickoff attempt by Radue before sprinting home on Allen's fly ball to right field.
Game Notes:
ECU recorded seven two-out hits (130 on season) which lead to five two-out runs (100) ... UConn left seven runners on base compared to just four for ECU ... The Pirates turned their 42nd double play of the season, which came in the bottom of the fifth inning ... Allen extended his hit streak to seven games, while Morgan (11) and Watkins (8) each extended their on-base streaks ... Lowery's three-hit game was his 12th multi-hit game of the season ... Morgan recorded his eighth multiple hit contest this season.
