Pirates
April 22, 2015 | Softball
April 22, 2015
Digging In
The East Carolina softball team returns to Greenville, N.C., to host in-state rival North Carolina on Thursday, April 23. The midweek, non-conference match-up is set for 5 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black in support of the Pirates in the "Paint it Black" promotional game. The first 200 fans will receive a free pair of custom ECU eye-black. It is also Girl Scouts Day and Club Sports Day.
The Series vs. The Tar Heels
East Carolina and North Carolina will meet for the 86th time in program history and the Tar Heels lead the all-time series 51-34. UNC has won the last six meetings and ECU is looking for its first victory over the Tar Heels since April 2, 2008 when the Pirates edged North Carolina, 3-2, in Chapel Hill. Last season, North Carolina defeated East Carolina, 6-1, in Chapel Hill. The Pirates have not won a game against UNC in Greenville since March 8, 2006 when ECU held on for a 2-1 victory.
About East Carolina
East Carolina is back in town after a road trip to USF in which the Pirates won two out of three games in Tampa, Fla. ECU is 13-35 on the year and 5-10 in American Athletic Conference action.
ECU raised its team batting average to .225 after scoring 152 runs, 144 RBIs and 24 home runs. The Pirates hold the edge on their opponents in base on balls as ECU has drawn 129 walks to its counterparts' 116. The pitching staff has compiled a 4.43 team ERA with four shutouts on the year. The Pirates have four pitchers who have combined for 182 strikeouts in 321.0 innings of work.
Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn leads the team offensively with a .284 batting average and a .504 slugging percentage. She has scored a team-high 28 runs and is tied for the team lead in RBIs (22) and doubles (8). She has belted seven home runs on the year, with two coming over the weekend. Senior catcher Abby Wynne is second on the team with a .270 clip while leading the Pirates with eight home runs. She also has contributed 25 runs, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases in as many attempts.
In the circle, senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian has appeared in 30 games with 23 starts. Christian owns a team-leading 3.25 ERA with a 5-13 record. She has pitched nine complete games including three shutouts this season. She has fanned a team-best 67 batters over 125.0 innings of work while allowing 29 walks. Sophomore right-hander Lydia Ritchie has earned more time in the circle as of late and is second on the team with a 3.67 ERA. She has made 13 appearances with seven starts and is coming off of a weekend in which she notched two wins in as many days.
Scouting North Carolina
North Carolina, which is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, comes to Greenville with a 33- 11 overall record. The Tar Heels are 15-4 in ACC action, 20-2 when playing at home but just 6-6 when on the road. UNC has won 12 of its last 14 games and is 18-7 in non-conference action.
As a team, the Tar Heels are batting .331 on the year with 318 runs scored, 292 RBIs and 694 total bases. They own a .605 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .436. Once on base, UNC is 24-for-28 in stolen bases. The North Carolina pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.05 with 18 complete games and 10 shutouts. The Tar Heels have fanned 195 batters over 278.0 innings pitched.
Freshman infielder Taylor Wike leads the squad with a .433 batting average after accumulating 55 hits in 127 at-bats. She leads the Tar Heels with 50 runs scored, nine doubles, 38 walks and has been hit-by-a-pitch eight times. She owns an on-base percentage of .584. Junior shortstop Kristen Brown, who is batting .368, leads North Carolina with 59 RBIs while also posting 48 runs scored and a team-best 20 homers.
North Carolina has four pitchers on staff, but mainly utilizes freshman left-hander Sydney Matzko and freshman righty Kaylee Carlson. Matzko has made 26 appearances, 12 of which were starts, and has compiled a 2.28 ERA and a 13-4 record. She has six complete games and two shutouts on the year. Additionally, she has struck out 71 batters in 95.0 innings of work. Carlson has seen action in 28 games with 23 starts, 10 complete games and one shutout. She owns a 3.07 ERA and a 15-6 record, while fanning 92 in 123.0 innings pitched.
Quality Opponents
This season East Carolina softball has faced several quality opponents throughout a competitive schedule. The slate features a number of teams which rank in the top 50 in RPI as well as nine opponents which appeared in the 2014 NCAA Regionals. The Pirates' conference schedule is just as demanding as four (UCF, Houston, Tulsa, USF) of the seven American Athletic Conference schools saw action in the NCAA Regionals a year ago. Three of the Pirates opponents are ranked in the Top 25 poll in No. 6/5 Oklahoma, No. 13/15 UCF and No. 22/23 James Madison. Additionally, East Carolina has two teams (South Carolina, North Carolina) on its schedule that are currently receiving votes.
Entering the Record Books
Casey Alcorn, the Pirates' junior shortstop, belted two home runs over the weekend at USF to bring her season total to seven and her career total to 18. With 18 homers in three years, Alcorn has moved into the East Carolina Career Record Book. She is tied for ninth with former Pirate Vanessa Moreno and is just two bombs away from moving into seventh place all-time.
Movin' on Up
Senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian is moving up in the East Carolina record books as she is ranked fifth in the ECU record book for most appearances with 146. She is also listed sixth all-time in wins (55), games started (108), innings pitched (675.2) and strikeouts (355). She also comes in seventh in complete games (58). This season, the Greenville, N.C., native is 5-13 with a team-best 3.25 ERA with nine complete games and three shutouts. She has recorded a team-leading 67 strikeouts in 125.0 innings of work with 29 walks.
Home Run Derby
Senior catcher Abby Wynne leads the Pirates with eight homers on the year. The Greenville, N.C., native belted four homers in as many games when East Carolina played Memphis and Houston. She got started at Memphis on March 29, when she sent a 2-2 count over the fence in the top of the eighth inning to life ECU to a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. Wynne has continued to belt home runs as she tallied a home run in game one and game two of a doubleheader at Houston on April 3 and followed that effort with a solo shot in the eighth on April 4 to give East Carolina a 4-3 win over the Cougars. Wynne's eight home runs rank her fourth in the American Athletic Conference.
Casey at the Bat
Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn owns a team-leading .284 batting average and a .504 slugging percentage. She leads the team in several offensive categories including hits (40), runs (28) , doubles (8). She also has added 22 RBIs (tied for the team lead), 11 walks and seven home runs. In addition to her offensive prowess, Alcorn has also been an integral part of the ECU defense earning 47 starts at shortstop. Alcorn leads the team in assists with 125 and has recorded 63 putouts. Her 125 assists rank her second in the American Athletic Conference.
Wynne-ing
Redshirt senior catcher Abby Wynne has been stout behind the plate this season. She has done an excellent job throwing out runners attempting to steal as she has caught 12 runners to tie for first in the American Athletic Conference. In addition to her solid defense, Wynne has also produced on the offensive end as well. She second on the team with a .270 batting average. She also has posted 25 runs, 18 RBIs, eight home runs and three doubles with five stolen bases in as many attempts.
Walk This Way
Freshman left fielder Mary-Sloan Bradford has drawn 33 walks in 44 games to lead the Pirates. Her 33 walks are also good for tops in the American Athletic Conference. Bradford is averaging 0.75 walks per game which ranks her 38th in the nation. The product of Windermere, Fla., owns a team-leading on-base percentage of .405, once on base, Bradford does her job on the base paths has she has scored 22 times and has swiped a six bases, to tie for the team lead, in nine attempts.
Standing Room Only
Pirate Nation packed the stands on Wednesday, April 8 when East Carolina hosted N.C. State to set a new stadium attendance record of 861. The record eclipses the previous milestone set on May 14, 2011, during ECU Softball Stadium's inaugural season, of 844 against Tulsa. Earlier this season, the Pirates filled the stadium with 614 fans to rank fifth all-time in attendance. Below is a list of the highest attended games in ECU Softball Stadium history.
Highest Attended Games
April 8, 2015 - 861 vs. N.C. State
May 14, 2011 - 844 vs. Tulsa
April 30, 2011 - 673 vs. Houston
February 19, 2011 - 658 vs. Hofstra
February 7, 2015 - 614 vs. South Carolina
All-Tournament Honors
At the Outrigger Resorts Hawaii Spring Fling Tournament junior centerfielder Meredith Mitchell was the lone Pirate named to the All-Tournament Team. She led the team with a .455 batting average after going 5-for-11 in five games. Additionally, she scored three runs, drove in one run and tallied six total bases. Mitchell drew two walks and recorded a double to own a slugging percentage of .545, while registering a .538 on-base percentage during the tournament. The all-tournament team nod was her second of the year as she was also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team along with five of her teammates. The Pirates had a successful season-opening tournament as ECU saw six players receive Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team honors. After winning the tournament, freshmen Ashley Cruise and Mary-Sloan Bradford were named Most Valuable Pitcher and Most Valuable Player, respectively. Additionally, sophomore Ali Ramirez, juniors Casey Alcorn and Mitchell, along with redshirt senior Abby Wynne were also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team.
Returning Home
Keli Harrell, East Carolina's all-time saves leader, returned to her alma mater on January 22 as she was hired as an interim assistant coach. Her hiring marks Harrell's second stint on the Pirates' coaching staff as she previously served as a graduate assistant from 2007-10. During that time, she played an integral role in guiding ECU to lead the league in several pitching categories, including earned run average (1.45), strikeouts (467), and wins (44). In her final year on staff, Harrell helped lead East Carolina to its first-ever Conference USA Tournament Championship as the Pirates made an appearance in the NCAA Regionals for just the third time in program history. She looks to bring the same success to the Pirates in 2015.
Quick Hits
· On January 15, head softball coach Beth Keylon-Randolph was granted an extended administrative leave of absence due to personal reasons.
· Sophomore catcher Alex Mycek will redshirt the 2015 season due to an injury.
· Freshman Ashton Stowe is out indefinitely due to injuries.
On Deck
East Carolina concludes the regular-season with a three-game series against UConn at ECU Softball Stadium beginning Saturday, April 25 and wrapping up Sunday, April 26. Saturday features a doubleheader set for 1 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch is slated for noon. Senior Day ceremonies will follow Sunday's contest.
| East Carolina vs. North Carolina | |
| Date | Thursday, April 23 |
| Time | 5:00 p.m. |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. | ECU Softball Stadium |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | The American |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Video Stream |
| @ECUScoreboard | |
Digging In
The East Carolina softball team returns to Greenville, N.C., to host in-state rival North Carolina on Thursday, April 23. The midweek, non-conference match-up is set for 5 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black in support of the Pirates in the "Paint it Black" promotional game. The first 200 fans will receive a free pair of custom ECU eye-black. It is also Girl Scouts Day and Club Sports Day.
The Series vs. The Tar Heels
East Carolina and North Carolina will meet for the 86th time in program history and the Tar Heels lead the all-time series 51-34. UNC has won the last six meetings and ECU is looking for its first victory over the Tar Heels since April 2, 2008 when the Pirates edged North Carolina, 3-2, in Chapel Hill. Last season, North Carolina defeated East Carolina, 6-1, in Chapel Hill. The Pirates have not won a game against UNC in Greenville since March 8, 2006 when ECU held on for a 2-1 victory.
About East Carolina
East Carolina is back in town after a road trip to USF in which the Pirates won two out of three games in Tampa, Fla. ECU is 13-35 on the year and 5-10 in American Athletic Conference action.
ECU raised its team batting average to .225 after scoring 152 runs, 144 RBIs and 24 home runs. The Pirates hold the edge on their opponents in base on balls as ECU has drawn 129 walks to its counterparts' 116. The pitching staff has compiled a 4.43 team ERA with four shutouts on the year. The Pirates have four pitchers who have combined for 182 strikeouts in 321.0 innings of work.
Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn leads the team offensively with a .284 batting average and a .504 slugging percentage. She has scored a team-high 28 runs and is tied for the team lead in RBIs (22) and doubles (8). She has belted seven home runs on the year, with two coming over the weekend. Senior catcher Abby Wynne is second on the team with a .270 clip while leading the Pirates with eight home runs. She also has contributed 25 runs, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases in as many attempts.
In the circle, senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian has appeared in 30 games with 23 starts. Christian owns a team-leading 3.25 ERA with a 5-13 record. She has pitched nine complete games including three shutouts this season. She has fanned a team-best 67 batters over 125.0 innings of work while allowing 29 walks. Sophomore right-hander Lydia Ritchie has earned more time in the circle as of late and is second on the team with a 3.67 ERA. She has made 13 appearances with seven starts and is coming off of a weekend in which she notched two wins in as many days.
Scouting North Carolina
North Carolina, which is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, comes to Greenville with a 33- 11 overall record. The Tar Heels are 15-4 in ACC action, 20-2 when playing at home but just 6-6 when on the road. UNC has won 12 of its last 14 games and is 18-7 in non-conference action.
As a team, the Tar Heels are batting .331 on the year with 318 runs scored, 292 RBIs and 694 total bases. They own a .605 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .436. Once on base, UNC is 24-for-28 in stolen bases. The North Carolina pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.05 with 18 complete games and 10 shutouts. The Tar Heels have fanned 195 batters over 278.0 innings pitched.
Freshman infielder Taylor Wike leads the squad with a .433 batting average after accumulating 55 hits in 127 at-bats. She leads the Tar Heels with 50 runs scored, nine doubles, 38 walks and has been hit-by-a-pitch eight times. She owns an on-base percentage of .584. Junior shortstop Kristen Brown, who is batting .368, leads North Carolina with 59 RBIs while also posting 48 runs scored and a team-best 20 homers.
North Carolina has four pitchers on staff, but mainly utilizes freshman left-hander Sydney Matzko and freshman righty Kaylee Carlson. Matzko has made 26 appearances, 12 of which were starts, and has compiled a 2.28 ERA and a 13-4 record. She has six complete games and two shutouts on the year. Additionally, she has struck out 71 batters in 95.0 innings of work. Carlson has seen action in 28 games with 23 starts, 10 complete games and one shutout. She owns a 3.07 ERA and a 15-6 record, while fanning 92 in 123.0 innings pitched.
Quality Opponents
This season East Carolina softball has faced several quality opponents throughout a competitive schedule. The slate features a number of teams which rank in the top 50 in RPI as well as nine opponents which appeared in the 2014 NCAA Regionals. The Pirates' conference schedule is just as demanding as four (UCF, Houston, Tulsa, USF) of the seven American Athletic Conference schools saw action in the NCAA Regionals a year ago. Three of the Pirates opponents are ranked in the Top 25 poll in No. 6/5 Oklahoma, No. 13/15 UCF and No. 22/23 James Madison. Additionally, East Carolina has two teams (South Carolina, North Carolina) on its schedule that are currently receiving votes.
Entering the Record Books
Casey Alcorn, the Pirates' junior shortstop, belted two home runs over the weekend at USF to bring her season total to seven and her career total to 18. With 18 homers in three years, Alcorn has moved into the East Carolina Career Record Book. She is tied for ninth with former Pirate Vanessa Moreno and is just two bombs away from moving into seventh place all-time.
Movin' on Up
Senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian is moving up in the East Carolina record books as she is ranked fifth in the ECU record book for most appearances with 146. She is also listed sixth all-time in wins (55), games started (108), innings pitched (675.2) and strikeouts (355). She also comes in seventh in complete games (58). This season, the Greenville, N.C., native is 5-13 with a team-best 3.25 ERA with nine complete games and three shutouts. She has recorded a team-leading 67 strikeouts in 125.0 innings of work with 29 walks.
Home Run Derby
Senior catcher Abby Wynne leads the Pirates with eight homers on the year. The Greenville, N.C., native belted four homers in as many games when East Carolina played Memphis and Houston. She got started at Memphis on March 29, when she sent a 2-2 count over the fence in the top of the eighth inning to life ECU to a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. Wynne has continued to belt home runs as she tallied a home run in game one and game two of a doubleheader at Houston on April 3 and followed that effort with a solo shot in the eighth on April 4 to give East Carolina a 4-3 win over the Cougars. Wynne's eight home runs rank her fourth in the American Athletic Conference.
Casey at the Bat
Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn owns a team-leading .284 batting average and a .504 slugging percentage. She leads the team in several offensive categories including hits (40), runs (28) , doubles (8). She also has added 22 RBIs (tied for the team lead), 11 walks and seven home runs. In addition to her offensive prowess, Alcorn has also been an integral part of the ECU defense earning 47 starts at shortstop. Alcorn leads the team in assists with 125 and has recorded 63 putouts. Her 125 assists rank her second in the American Athletic Conference.
Wynne-ing
Redshirt senior catcher Abby Wynne has been stout behind the plate this season. She has done an excellent job throwing out runners attempting to steal as she has caught 12 runners to tie for first in the American Athletic Conference. In addition to her solid defense, Wynne has also produced on the offensive end as well. She second on the team with a .270 batting average. She also has posted 25 runs, 18 RBIs, eight home runs and three doubles with five stolen bases in as many attempts.
Walk This Way
Freshman left fielder Mary-Sloan Bradford has drawn 33 walks in 44 games to lead the Pirates. Her 33 walks are also good for tops in the American Athletic Conference. Bradford is averaging 0.75 walks per game which ranks her 38th in the nation. The product of Windermere, Fla., owns a team-leading on-base percentage of .405, once on base, Bradford does her job on the base paths has she has scored 22 times and has swiped a six bases, to tie for the team lead, in nine attempts.
Standing Room Only
Pirate Nation packed the stands on Wednesday, April 8 when East Carolina hosted N.C. State to set a new stadium attendance record of 861. The record eclipses the previous milestone set on May 14, 2011, during ECU Softball Stadium's inaugural season, of 844 against Tulsa. Earlier this season, the Pirates filled the stadium with 614 fans to rank fifth all-time in attendance. Below is a list of the highest attended games in ECU Softball Stadium history.
Highest Attended Games
April 8, 2015 - 861 vs. N.C. State
May 14, 2011 - 844 vs. Tulsa
April 30, 2011 - 673 vs. Houston
February 19, 2011 - 658 vs. Hofstra
February 7, 2015 - 614 vs. South Carolina
All-Tournament Honors
At the Outrigger Resorts Hawaii Spring Fling Tournament junior centerfielder Meredith Mitchell was the lone Pirate named to the All-Tournament Team. She led the team with a .455 batting average after going 5-for-11 in five games. Additionally, she scored three runs, drove in one run and tallied six total bases. Mitchell drew two walks and recorded a double to own a slugging percentage of .545, while registering a .538 on-base percentage during the tournament. The all-tournament team nod was her second of the year as she was also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team along with five of her teammates. The Pirates had a successful season-opening tournament as ECU saw six players receive Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team honors. After winning the tournament, freshmen Ashley Cruise and Mary-Sloan Bradford were named Most Valuable Pitcher and Most Valuable Player, respectively. Additionally, sophomore Ali Ramirez, juniors Casey Alcorn and Mitchell, along with redshirt senior Abby Wynne were also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team.
Returning Home
Keli Harrell, East Carolina's all-time saves leader, returned to her alma mater on January 22 as she was hired as an interim assistant coach. Her hiring marks Harrell's second stint on the Pirates' coaching staff as she previously served as a graduate assistant from 2007-10. During that time, she played an integral role in guiding ECU to lead the league in several pitching categories, including earned run average (1.45), strikeouts (467), and wins (44). In her final year on staff, Harrell helped lead East Carolina to its first-ever Conference USA Tournament Championship as the Pirates made an appearance in the NCAA Regionals for just the third time in program history. She looks to bring the same success to the Pirates in 2015.
Quick Hits
· On January 15, head softball coach Beth Keylon-Randolph was granted an extended administrative leave of absence due to personal reasons.
· Sophomore catcher Alex Mycek will redshirt the 2015 season due to an injury.
· Freshman Ashton Stowe is out indefinitely due to injuries.
On Deck
East Carolina concludes the regular-season with a three-game series against UConn at ECU Softball Stadium beginning Saturday, April 25 and wrapping up Sunday, April 26. Saturday features a doubleheader set for 1 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch is slated for noon. Senior Day ceremonies will follow Sunday's contest.
Players Mentioned
Infield
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Pitcher
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
Outfield
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Catcher/Outfield
/ SoftballECU Softball vs Campbell
Tuesday, April 15
ECU Softball vs Memphis
Saturday, April 05
ECU Softball vs Boston College
Sunday, February 23
ECU Softball vs Canisius
Saturday, February 22
