East Carolina Hosts In-State Rival UNCW Wednesday
April 20, 2016 | Softball
| Game 47: UNCW at East Carolina | |
| Date | April 20, 2016 |
| Time | 5:00 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. (ECU Softball Stadium) |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Live Video | Pirates On Demand |
| Official Web Sites | East Carolina | UNCW | American Athletic Conference |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  |
| 2016 Statistics | East Carolina | UNCW |
| ECU Softball Central | Promotional Calendar | Roster | Fact Book | The American |
East Carolina Softball Social Media Links: Twitter | Instagram | ECU Scoreboard
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina returns home Wednesday for its final scheduled non-conference contest of the 2016 campaign when the Pirates welcome in-state rival UNCW to the ECU Softball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Live stats via Gametracker and a live video stream of the game are available with links accessible through www.ecupirates.com.
Promotions: First 100 fans receive a "No Quarter" flag ... ECU Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day -- Up to four (4) FREE tickets for ECU employees ... Fan Appreciation Day Special - $2 tickets with ticket stub from the baseball NC State game.
The Pirates are coming off of a series loss at UConn over the weekend and are 20-26 overall while UNCW won its Colonial Athletic Association set with the College of Charleston two games to one. The Seahawks bring a 24-18 overall record to Greenville. The teams met in a doubleheader in Wilmington last season as the Seahawks captured both ends of the twinbill by scores of 2-0 and 5-1.
East Carolina is hitting .267 as a team with 57 doubles, six triples and 30 home runs. Junior outfielder Ciara Ervin and sophomore third baseman Karlie Smith lead the way with identical .324 batting averages. Conversely, UNCW is hitting .237, paced by a .310 average belonging to Kelsey Bryan. The Seahawks sport a stout team earned run average of 2.33 as compared to the Pirates' 4.13 mark.
UNCW has played a majority of its games at home this season and is just 3-4 away from Boseman Field. ECU is 5-9 at home in 2016 with wins over Bucknell (twice), UMass, St. Francis (Pa.) and Memphis.
Last Time Out
STORRS, Conn. -- Despite racking up a season-high 18 hits Sunday, the East Carolina softball team fell to UConn 15-7 in six innings in the teams' series finale at the Burrill Family Field. The Pirates received a hit from every offensive player that entered the contest, but the Huskies were backed by a seven-run third inning in which they hit a pair of three-run home runs. Junior outfielder Ciara Ervin and senior shortstop Casey Alcorn led all players with three hits apiece while Ervin scored a pair of runs and drove in one. Alyson Ambler and Taylor Smith both went 2-for-3 with three RBI apiece to pace UConn. Freshman RHP Mary Williams (5-12) suffered the loss after surrendering 13 runs on seven hits with 11 walks and a strikeout. Jill Stockley (6-10) picked up the victory tossing five innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on 15 hits with a walk and no strikeouts.
The Series: UNCW
East Carolina and UNCW have met 96 times on the softball diamond and the Pirates have had the better of the Seahawks in leading the series 79-17. ECU holds a 35-7 record against UNCW in Greenville.
Heating Up
As the regular season winds down, the Pirate bats are coming alive. In its three-game series at UConn over the weekend, East Carolina hit .398 as a team (37-for-93) with a .505 slugging percentage. Ervin has really come to life offensively in her last 10 outings, batting .469 (15-for-32) with nine runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, six RBI and 31 total bases as well as a .969 slugging percentage and 1.522 OPS.
Against the ACC
ECU holds a winning record against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents this campaign, run-ruling Virginia 9-1 in six innings in the season opener, falling 8-0 to then No. 23 Notre Dame Feb. 26 and downing NC State 7-4 in Raleigh March 22.
Against the State
East Carolina has had much success over the years against its in-state rivals, holding a 236-118 mark against NCAA Division I programs in North Carolina. ECU has squared off against Appalachian State (4-0), Campbell (35-11), Charlotte (25-10), Elon (16-5-1), North Carolina (35-51), North Carolina A&T (5-0), NC Central (3-0), NC State (7-12), UNC Asheville (1-0), UNC Greensboro (26-12) and UNCW (79-17).
Staying Power
A total of three players on this year's Pirate squad have played and started all 46 contests thus far - Casey Alcorn (SS), Karlie Smith (3B/DP) and Meredith Mitchell (CF). Mitchell was also one of two individuals to play and start in every game last season.
Return to Raleigh
Head Coach Courtney Oliver took the Pirates over to Raleigh March 22 to match up with her former program in NC State. She was the Wolfpack's pitching coach for three years before her arrival in Greenville and that certainly appeared to be an advantage in the contest as ECU and Oliver left the Capital City victorious.
Shut It Down
The Pirates have blanked seven opponents this season, the most since 2011 when East Carolina picked up 21 shutouts on its way to a Conference USA Tournament title and NCAA regional final appearance.
Tough Ticket
Pirate Nation packed the stands April 8, 2015 when East Carolina hosted NC State, setting a new stadium attendance record of 861. The mark eclipsed the previous milestone of 844 set May 14, 2011 during the ECU Softball Stadium's inaugural season when the Pirates topped Tulsa to win their second consecutive Conference USA Tournament title. This season, East Carolina is averaging 463 fans per contest and two of the top 10 crowds in stadium history have filed through the gates. An announced attendance of 744 for the Longwood doubleheader represents the third largest since the venue opened in 2011.
What's Next?
East Carolina wraps up its home schedule this weekend with a three-game American Athletic Conference series against Houston. The Pirates will honor their senior class before Sunday's finale.
