ECU Claims Series At UCF With 7-1 Win

Friday, May 20

Orlando, Fla.

4:00 PM

East Carolina University

33-19-1, 14-8-1

UCF

25-30, 8-15

East Carolina

UCF

May 20, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

May 20, 2016

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - Jimmy Boyd tossed seven innings allowing one run, while Travis Watkins posted three hits and Kirk Morgan drove in three helping East Carolina to a 7-1 American Athletic Conference series win over UCF Friday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field. With the win the Pirates improve to 33-19-1 overall and 14-8-1 in league play, while the Knights fall to 25-30 and 8-15.

Boyd (7-4) scattered five hits allowing one run (unearned) with seven strikeouts in his seven innings of work. The right-hander registered his eighth quality start in 13 starts on the season. Matt Bridges, who entered the game following a two-hour and 41-minute rain delay, tossed the final two innings where he allowed one hit and struck out three.

Juan Pimentel (3-7) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs (one earned) on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts in six innings. Thaddeus Ward made his second relief appearance in the series tossing 1.1 scoreless frames before the game was halted. Campbell Scholl took the mound after the delay allowing three runs (all earned) on two hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Eric Hepple had a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.

Watkins led the Pirates with three hits going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored on the afternoon. Kirk Morgan drove in three runs with his bases clearing pinch-hit double in the eighth, while Dwanya Williams-Sutton laced his team-leading fourth triple of the year that scored a pair of runs. Bryce Harman singled in the fourth pushing his current hit streak to seven games. Turner Brown and Eric Tyler each drove in a run on the day.

UCF managed just six hits with Matthew Mika and Eli Putnam each recording two. Matt Diorio drove in the Knights lone run, which came in the sixth inning.

How It Happened:
ECU jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the second inning. Brown was hit by a pitch to start the frame and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Watkins followed with a single through the left side putting runners on the corners for Tyler, who reached on a fielder's choice where Brown crossed home.

Williams-Sutton's two-RBI triple in the third extended the Pirates lead to 3-0. Garrett Brooks opened the inning with a single to left field and two batters later moved to second when Parker Lamm reached on an error by Ryan Crile. After Charlie Yorgen reached on a fielder's choice where Lamm was forced out at second, Williams-Sutton laced a three-base hit down the right field line plating Brooks and Yorgen.

The Pirates pushed their lead to four, 4-0, with a run in the fifth stanza. Lamm reached for the second time via a Knight defensive miscue to get things going, this time by Brennan Bozeman at short. Yorgen followed with a single through the left side and a double steal put both runners into scoring position. Two batters later, Brown's RBI ground out to short pushed across Lamm for ECU's fourth run.

UCF finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth pulling within three, 4-1. Putnam singled to left field with one out and reached third on the same play when Williams-Sutton's misplayed the ball. Diorio plated Putnam with a single to right field accounting for the Knights only run.

Morgan's bases loaded double in the eighth extended ECU's advantage to 7-1. Following the rain delay, Watkins single to left center, Tyler was hit by a pitch and Brooks drew a two-out walk setting up Morgan's three-RBI double down the left field line.

Up Next:
ECU will close out the regular season on Saturday, May 21 against UCF at Jay Bergman Field with an 11 a.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.