East Carolina Earns Split On Opening Day

Friday, February 11

Conway, S.C.

10:00 a.m.

East Carolina University

0-1

Purdue

1-0

Purdue

East Carolina

February 11, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 ECU-Purdue Box Score (PDF)ECU-Georgetown Box Score (PDF)

CONWAY, S.C. – The East Carolina softball team gave first-year head coach Shane Winkler his first victory in the Purple and Gold Friday afternoon, shaking off a 9-3 loss to Purdue by knocking off Georgetown 6-5 in eight innings on day one of the Kickin' Chicken Classic at St. John Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University.

The Pirates (1-1) will face off against the same two teams Saturday in reverse order.

Game One: Purdue 9, East Carolina 3
The Boilermakers scored four early runs and made them stand in the season opener for both squads.

Freshman LHP Jordan Hatch (0-1) made her collegiate debut in the circle but was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. Alex Echazaretta (1-0) picked up the win by tossing four innings of scoreless softball. She scattered three hits, walked one batter and struck out five.

Junior outfielder Faith Jarvis rapped out three hits and scored a run in her season debut while sophomore catcher Sophie Wools, sophomore outfielder Sydney Yoder and sophomore outfielder Logyn Estes drove in a run apiece. Echazaretta got it done at the plate as well, recording three hits, three RBI and two runs scored.

Purdue plated two runs in the top of the first thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Olivia McFadden and a Kaitlyn Brannstrom sacrifice fly. The Boilermakers would stretch the lead to 4-0 in the top of the third via a Rylee Platusic two-run home run before a three-run fifth inning made it a 7-0 contest.

ECU fired back in the bottom of the fifth with a three spot. Jarvis singled on the infield to lead things off and sophomore infielder Bailee Wilson roped a first-pitch double into center. Sophomore infielder Jocelyn Alonso was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs before sophomore catcher Sophie Wools delivered an RBI single to put the Pirates on the board. A fielder's choice made it 7-2 and sophomore utility Logyn Estes followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Alonso and left East Carolina trailing by four.

Echazaretta provided the game's final margin with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

Game Two: East Carolina 6, Georgetown 5 (Eight Innings)
Down to its final inning and facing a 4-3 deficit, ECU rallied to tie the score in the top of the frame before scoring two in the eighth to knock off Georgetown 6-5.

Ledvina produced a monster game at the dish, going 4-for-4 with three RBI and three doubles. Sophomore utility Taylor Woodring drove in two runs and drew a pair of walks while junior outfielder Taudrea Sinnie produced her first RBI in a Pirate uniform. Alyssa Chavez and Kiki Besnard posted a pair of hits each for the Hoyas.

Sophomore RHP Addy Bullis (1-0) notched her first win at East Carolina, throwing three innings and allowing just one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Hatch secured her first collegiate save by limiting Georgetown to a single run in the eighth inning. Jordan Tallman (0-1) was the losing pitcher after surrendering two runs on a pair of hits and walking two batters and striking out none.

The Hoyas jumped on top early with a three-run first inning, but ECU responded quickly. Yoder drew a leadoff walk before Estes singled through the left side and Ledvina plated both runners with a two-run double to center.

The Pirates tied things up in the top of the fourth via a Woodring RBI groundout, but Georgetown grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Chavez led off with a long ball over the left center fence. East Carolina stayed alive in the top of the seventh as Ledvina stroked a leadoff double to left center and moved to third on a passed ball before Woodring walked and Sinnie drove her home with a sacrifice fly.

After the Hoyas were unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, ECU went to work quickly in the top of the eighth. Under the international tiebreaker rule, Alonso was placed at second. With one away, Yoder singled to left field and stole second. Estes then drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Ledvina to deliver an RBI single and put the Pirates in the lead. Woodring followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-4.

Georgetown managed a run in the bottom of the eighth in the form of a Besnard sacrifice fly, but Hatch closed the door by retiring Cameron Kondo with the tying run at first.