Jacksonville Evens Series With 8-6 Win

Friday, March 25

Greenville, N.C.

6:30 PM

East Carolina University

15-8

Jacksonville

15-7

Jacksonville

East Carolina

March 25, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

March 25, 2016

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Seth DeWitt and Dakota Julylia combined to drive in five runs, while four Dolphins tallied multiple hits helping Jacksonville to an 8-6 win over No. 19 East Carolina Friday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Dolphins even the non-conference series at one game apiece and improve to 15-7, while the Pirates fall to 15-8.

Michael Baumann (3-1) picked up the win allowing four runs (all earned) on four hits with five walks and six strikeouts in six innings of work. Mike Cassala notched his sixth save of the season tossing a scoreless ninth where he gave up one hit. Chris Gau was touched for a pair of runs (both earned) on three hits in 1.2 relief frames. Ryan Granda gave up a pair of hits in one-third of an inning.

Jacob Wolfe (2-2) suffered the loss surrendering four runs (all earned) on four hits with three walks and a strikeout in a season-low 2.1 innings. On the night, ECU used five pitchers in relief going with Sam Lanier (2.0 IP, 1 R, 4 Ks), Matt Bridges (2.0 IP, 1 R, 4 Ks), Nick Durazo (0.0 IP, 2 Rs), Zack Mozingo (0.2 IP, 2 Hs) and Evan Voliva (2.0 IP, 2 Ks).

Jacksonville recorded 12 hits on the night getting a 3-for-4 performance from Sam Armstrong, who also drove in and scored a run. JJ Gould, Franco Guardascione and Julyia each posted a pair of hits. DeWitt belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth, finishing with two RBI. Julylia tallied a team-best three RBI with two coming in the seventh.

ECU reached double-digit hits for the 13th time this season recording 10 in the contest. Bryce Harman and Eric Tyler lead the way with two each, while six others added one. Turner Brown drove in a pair of runs and Dwanya Williams-Sutton had a career-high three RBI, two coming off his first career home run in the second frame.

How It Happened:
With the score knotted at two-all going to the third, Jacksonville plated a pair of runs taking a 4-2 lead which they never relinquished. DeWitt plated the first run reaching on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded scoring Parker Perez. Armstrong followed with a walk to re-load the bases before Lanier entered the game in place of Wolfe. Two batters later, Angel Camacho drew a two-out walk that pushed across Gould for a two-run advantage.

DeWitt's solo blast to left field extended the Dolphins lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning.

ECU answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on RBI singles by Brown and Garrett Brooks pulling the Pirates within one, 5-4. Mozingo walked and took second on a wild pitch before coming home on Brown's base hit to center. Standing on second, Brown swiped his fifth base of the season moving to third and darted home on Brooks' single to right field.

But in the top of the seventh, Jacksonville plated three runs extending its lead to four, 8-4. Camacho doubled down the left field line plating Gould and after Mozingo entered the game as a pitcher, Julylia laced a two-RBI base hit to right field capping the scoring for the Dolphins.

The Pirates pushed across a pair of runs in the eighth pulling within two, 8-6. Tyler led off with single through the right side and took third on Harman's second double of the contest. Browns' ground ball to second scored Tyler and advanced Harman to third before Williams-Sutton's sac fly to right plated Harman.

Gould's double and Armstrong's single in the first inning gave Jacksonville and early 2-0 lead. ECU responded with two in the bottom of the second thanks to Williams-Sutton's two-run blast down the right field line that scored Harman in front of him.

Game Notes:
For the second-straight game, ECU had four two-out RBI pushing its season total to 49 … Morgan extended his hit streak to seven games with a single up the middle in the eighth inning … Brown and Williams-Sutton drove in multiple runs in a game for the fourth time this season … Harman posted his fourth multi-hit game of the year, while Tyler collected his seventh (tied for team lead with Parker Lamm) … Williams-Sutton belted the Pirates ninth homer of the 2016 campaign - his first collegiate home run … ECU dropped to 10-3 on the season when recording 10 or more hits … Wolfe's outing (2.1 IP) was the second shortest of his career as a starter (1.1 vs. UTSA on May 22, 2014).

Up Next:
ECU and Jacksonville will play the rubber-match in the series on Saturday, Mar. 25 at 1 p.m. (ET).