Pirates Open Home Slate With Two Walkoff Wins

Friday, February 15

Greenville, N.C.

5:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

5-1

Wagner

1-1

Wagner

ECU

February 15, 2019 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ECU-Wagner Box Score | ECU-Cleveland State Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The ECU softball team continued its hot start to the 2019 campaign Friday, claiming a pair of walkoff wins over Wagner and Cleveland State on day one of the Pirate Clash at the ECU Softball Stadium. The Pirates (6-1) scored five in the seventh inning to knock off Wagner 7-6 before downing Cleveland State 9-8 in eight innings in the nightcap.

Sophomore Ashleigh Inae shone in the doubleheader, going 5-for-7 (.714) with four runs scored, a double, a RBI and a stolen base. Redshirt junior Tate McClellan also filled up the stat sheet with two hits, three runs scored, a double, a home run and three RBI. Junior Logan Wood was an offensive catalyst against Cleveland State, tallying two hits, a run scored and four RBI as well as a grand slam in the first inning.

Sophomore RHP Erin Poepping (5-0) picked up the win in both contests, throwing a complete game against Wagner (1-1) and allowing six runs (two earned) on 13 hits with a walk and three strikeouts. In the second game, she entered in the eighth inning and retired Cleveland State (0-2) in order with a strikeout before ECU walked off in the eighth frame.

Wagner's Jessica Carlucci went 4-for-4 while Kayla Hooks (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs (none earned) on two hits in just two thirds of an inning.

For Cleveland State, Sydney Bajusz rapped out three hits, scored a run and drove in a pair. Macy Kaisk (0-1) suffered the loss as she pitched 1.1 innings and allowed the winning run in the eighth. She walked two and struck out one.

A leadoff single by Karen Prihoda had Wagner in business to start the affair and Amelia Van Orman drove her home with a RBI single later in the inning. The Seahawks then took advantage of a two-out error on a double play attempt that allowed them to score four unearned runs and grab a 5-0 advantage. Wagner ended up scoring four in the frame on five hits and the miscue.

The game settled down from there and the Pirates were able to eventually crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Inae singled to right field before McClellan doubled over the right fielder's head to score Inae. Wood then singled to center to plate McClellan and slice the Wagner cushion to 5-2.

After the Seahawks added a run in the top of the sixth to push ahead by four, ECU mustered a huge rally in the bottom of the seventh. Inae singled to left center before McClellan lined a ball underneath the shortstop's glove and all the way to the wall, allowing Inae to score. That error proved costly as redshirt junior Rachel McCollum walked. After Wagner recorded the first out on a fielder's choice play, senior Ashley Weingartz stood on first and pinch runner Sydney Griggs on third. Junior Kendra Ziemba followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-4 and sophomore Courtney Layton singled to load the bases. Sophomore Pearson Yopp turned out to be the heroine of the game when she lined her first collegiate hit – a three-run triple – into the left center gap to clear the bases and give the Pirates the walkoff victory.

Buoyed by a grand slam off the bat of Wood, ECU exploded for five runs in the bottom of the first inning against Cleveland State. Ziemba also notched a sacrifice fly in the frame.

After the Vikings received a Hannah Breeden RBI single to reduce their deficit to four in the top of the second, the middle innings went by with no runs in sight. Cleveland State drew closer in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-out error in center that plated both runs and left the Pirates with a 5-3 advantage.

ECU looked to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth when senior and pinch hitter Morgan Halo doubled with one out. Junior Olivia Narron re-entered the game and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a Inae double. McClellan then got a hold of a 3-2 pitch and crushed it over the left field wall to make the score 8-3 heading into the top of the seventh.

The Vikings rallied for five runs in the seventh off of four hits, chasing Pirate reliever and sophomore Liv Garman. Sophomore RHP Whitney Sanford escaped the inning with a looking strikeout, stranding a pair of Cleveland State runners to keep the score tied.

After Poepping entered the circle in the top of the eighth and made short work of the Viking side, Narron drew a walk on a 3-2 count to open the bottom of the eighth. She stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Sophomore Tyler King then shot a grounder back to the pitcher and Narron slid under the tag attempt at home to seal ECU's second walkoff triumph of the day.

Due to the threat of inclement weather, Saturday's tournament schedule has been reduced to two games. The Pirates will take on Saint Francis at 5:30 p.m. before Cleveland State and Wagner do battle approximately 20 minutes after game one.

Notes: ECU won its first-ever meeting with Wagner on the softball diamond while improving to 7-1 against Cleveland State … The Pirates have recorded double-digit hits in five of seven games this season … Yopp and freshman Keira Womack (double) notched their first collegiate hits during the doubleheader … ECU is off to its best start (6-1) to a season since 2006 when it began the year with eight-straight victories … The Pirates won in extra innings for the first time since March 23, 2018 – a 3-2 walkoff win over American Athletic Conference opponent Houston.

Day One Pirate Clash Scores
Purdue 6, Saint Francis 2
Wagner 1, Purdue 0
Saint Francis 5, Cleveland State 0
ECU 7, Wagner 6
ECU 9, Cleveland State 8 (8 Innings)