Gameday: Softball Kicks Off Final Homestand Hosting AAC Leader USF

Games 45-47: USF
Series Schedule	April 20 \\\ 6:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch (Free) April 21 \\\ 2:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch (Free) April 22 \\\ Noon \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch (Free)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (ECU Softball Stadium)
Tickets	ECU Online Ticket Center
Social Media	@ECUSoftball (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ @ECUScoreboard (In-Game Updates) \\\ #ECUndaunted

GREENVILLE, N.C. – With just 10 games remaining in the regular season, the ECU softball team begins a seven-game homestand with an American Athletic Conference series against league leader USF. The Pirates and Bulls are scheduled to play at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Noon Sunday.

The Pirates are 19-25 overall and 5-7 in AAC play entering the weekend having dropped a 4-3 decision at North Carolina Wednesday in their penultimate non-conference contest. ECU held a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning before the Tar Heels scored three unanswered runs to escape with the one-run victory. Redshirt sophomore Tate McClellan hit her ninth home run of the season and freshman Tyler King recorded a two-run double in the setback.

With four teams tied for third place in the American Conference standings at 6-6, the Pirates lurk just a game back of that pack in seventh. The highest regular season finish for ECU since joining the league is a fourth-place result in 2015 – the Pirates' first season in the conference.

ECU is hitting .234 as a team with 39 doubles, two triples and 33 home runs. King paces the unit with a .295 batting average and has rapped out a team-high 44 hits as well as six doubles and two triples. In the circle, the Pirates sport a collective 3.49 earned run average with freshmen Whitney Sanford and Erin Poepping combining to throw 224.1 of ECU's 293 innings. The duo has struck out 128 batters between them and boasts respective 3.42 and 3.68 ERAs.

About USF
The Bulls are 31-16 overall and a league-best 9-3 in conference play, most recently winning two of three at AAC preseason favorite Tulsa last weekend. USF is hitting .295 as a team, paced by Lindsey Devitt's .373 batting average. The Bulls have produced 49 doubles, six triples and a conference-best 40 home runs. In terms of pitching, USF owns a 2.67 team ERA. Cheyenne Eggens and Georgina Corrick have started 30 of the Bulls' 47 games and check in with 1.43 and 1.64 ERAs with a combined 172 strikeouts.

The Series
USF has won the last seven meetings with ECU and holds a 20-9 advantage in the all-time series. The Bulls have swept the season series from the Pirates the last two seasons.

Last Meeting (April 9, 2017)
For the second-straight day, ECU scored first only to have USF rally as the Bulls outlasted the Pirates 9-7 to sweep the American Athletic Conference series Sunday at the USF Softball Stadium. Alex Mycek paced the offense with two hits (a pair of home runs), two runs scored and three RBI while Tate McClellan drove in a pair of runs herself. Bethaney Keen went 2-for-4 with a run scored a three RBI for the victorious Bulls. Lydia Ritchie went the distance in the setback, allowing nine runs (five earned) on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Hannah Parker was credited with the win after tossing 1.2 innings in relief. She gave up one hit and struck out two Pirate batters.

Up Next
ECU will attempt to set the program's single-game attendance record when it hosts in-state foe NC State Wednesday, April 25, at 5 p.m.

Gameday: Softball Kicks Off Final Homestand Hosting AAC Leader USF

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Players Mentioned

Tyler King

Tate McClellan

Alex Mycek

Erin Poepping

Lydia Ritchie

Whitney Sanford

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