East Carolina University
11-3
Rice
6-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
| Rice | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
No. 16 ECU Takes Game One At Rice, 10-1
March 12, 2016 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Evan Kruczynski allowed one run over seven innings, while Kirk Morgan led a 13-hit attack collecting three base hits in No. 16 East Carolina's 10-1 win over Rice Friday night at Reckling Park. With the win the Pirates improve to 11-3, while the Owls fall to 6-7 on the season.
Kruczynski (2-0) picked up the win scattering seven hits over his seven frames with a walk and three strikeouts to go with one earned run. Nick Durazo allowed a pair of hits in one inning of relief, while Matt Bridges worked a scoreless ninth inning giving up a hit.
Jon Duplantier (1-2) suffered the loss surrendering four runs (all earned) on six hits with four walks and nine strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work. Austin Solecitto (0.1 IP), Nick Orewiler (0.2 IP, 4 Rs) and Willy Amador (1.1 IP, 2 Rs) worked the final 2.1 innings of the night.
Morgan had a team-high three hits and drove in a career-best three runs for the Pirates. Turner Brown and Jeff Nelson each added a pair of hits, while Travis Watkins drove in a pair of runs. In all, seven of ECU's starting nine recorded base knocks and seven scored at least one run, including Eric Tyler who belted his second home run of the year.
Ryan Chandler led the Owls with three hits with five other starters posting one hit.
How It Happened:
For the seventh time this season, ECU jumped out to an early lead scoring a run in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. With Charlie Yorgen standing on second base and two outs, Morgan singled up the middle plating Yorgen for the games first run.
Duplantier kept the Pirates off the board for the next three frames until the fifth when Nelson singled home Garrett Brooks with an infield single to short. Brooks led off the inning with a walk and took third on Brown's base hit to right field.
ECU added two more runs in the seventh pushing its lead to 4-0. Brown was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and took second on Nelson's second hit of the night. After a failed pick off attempt by Duplantier to second put two runners in scoring position, Yorgen was intentionally walked with one out to load the bases. Watkins followed with a sac fly to right field scoring Brown. Rice changed pitchers bringing in Solecitto, who threw a wild pitch that plated Nelson.
Rice finally pushed across a run in the bottom half of the seventh closing the gap to 4-1. Dayne Wunderlich and Chandler recorded consecutive base hits and both moved up a base on Connor Teykl's fly out to right field. Wunderlich crossed home during Hunter Kopycinski's at-bat on a wild pitch.
The Pirates poured it on in the eighth scoring six runs on six hits for a 10-1 advantage. Tyler welcomed the new Rice hurler, Orewiler, with a solo home run for the first run of the frame. Brown drove in Brooks with a single down the right field line, Yorgen plated Brooks with another single to right field and Watkins doubled to left scoring Lamm. Morgan capped the night with a two-RBI single to right field pushing across Yorgen and Watkins before he was thrown out at second trying to stretch the base knock into a double.
Game Notes:
ECU pounded out 13 hits with five going for extra base hits … When recording double-digit hits, the Pirates own a 7-1 record … Brooks doubled in the eighth inning and has recorded a double in four-straight games … Lamm saw his 13 game hit streak come to an end following an 0-for-4 performance (walked in final plate appearance) … Dating back to 2014, ECU has now recorded consecutive wins over Rice for the first time in the all-time series … The Pirates 10 runs are the most they have scored in a win against the Owls and are the second most ever in the series (11 in 2009 loss in Greenville, 15-11) … The win marks just the third time on Friday night that ECU has picked up a victory over Rice in the all-time series … ECU had five two-out RBI pushing its season total to 33.
Up Next:
The Pirates and Owls will continue the three-game series Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park with a 3 p.m. (EST) scheduled first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kruczynski, Evan (2-0)
L: Jon Duplantier (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Watkins, Travis 1 ; Phillips, Wesley 1 ; Harman, Bryce 1 ; Brooks, Garrett 1
HR: Tyler, Eric 1
RBI: Yorgen, Charlie 1 ; Watkins, Travis 2 ; Morgan, Kirk 3 ; Tyler, Eric 1 ; Brown, Turner 1 ; Nelson, Jeff 1
SF: Watkins, Travis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lamm, Parker 1 ; Yorgen, Charlie 2 ; Watkins, Travis 1 ; Tyler, Eric 1 ; Brooks, Garrett 2 ; Brown, Turner 1 ; Nelson, Jeff 2
CS: Morgan, Kirk 1
HBP: Brown, Turner 1
Batting:
2B: Ryan Chandler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dayne Wunderlich 1
PO: Ryan Chandler 1
