East Carolina University
3-0
George Washington
0-3
No. 11 ECU Blows Past George Washington 23-5 To Complete Series Sweep
February 19, 2023 | Baseball
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The Pirates (3-0) outscored the Colonials (0-3) 43-13 over the three contests and scored their most runs in a single game since defeating Delaware State 24-0 back on May 13, 2011. ECU also recorded 20 hits on the day – the most in a single contest for the program since notching 22 against Elon March 15, 2015.
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Justin Wilcoxen put forth his final argument in a case for national player of the week consideration, finishing Sunday's affair with a three-hit performance that included four runs scored and four RBI. For the weekend, he went 10-for-14 (.714) with nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. Jacob Starling also wrapped up a stout two-day stretch at the plate, tallying three hits, two runs scored and three RBI in the blowout victory. Sam Gates paced the visiting GW club with two hits, a run scored and three runs driven in.
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.@justinw_06 is the hottest hitter in the country 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X2kUPjWEiS— East Carolina Baseball (@ECUBaseball) February 19, 2023
Danny Beal (1-0) picked up his first victory of the season in relief, firing across two scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit. East Carolina touched up Colonial starter Austin Odell (0-1) for eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks in the right-hander's first start of the campaign.
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After falling behind in both games of yesterday's doubleheader, East Carolina flipped the script in the bottom of the first inning. Grosz worked around a hit batter in a clean top half and the Pirate offense went to work. Jenkins-Cowart reached on an error before Hoover drew a five-pitch walk. The runners then moved up a base apiece following some heady base running and scored on a ground-rule double by Starling. A speedy Nowak then beat out a throw for an infield single as the shortstop sailed the ball into the visitor dugout to score Starling and leave the Purple and Gold with a 3-0 advantage after one complete.
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George Washington pulled within a run in the top of the fourth via a Robby Wacker two-run home run, but the Pirates flexed their offensive muscle and scored 12 runs over the fourth and fifth frames, extending their lead to 15-4 when the dust settled. Wilcoxen aided the cause with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth before Starling's RBI triple and Alec Makarewicz' solo home run capped a seven-run, six-hit fifth inning.
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ECU added two runs in the seventh and six in the eighth to complete the win. Cam Clonch and Ryley Johnson both went yard in the eighth frame, each hitting a two-run long ball as the Pirates finished with four as a team.
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- East Carolina was 9-for-15 (.600) with runners in scoring position and produced eight two-out RBI.
- Sophomore RHP Jordan Little notched his first collegiate strikeout in the top of the seventh inning.
- The ECU pitching staff struck out 29 batters in the series.
- The Pirates reached double figures in the hit column in all three games.
- East Carolina scored 40-plus runs in a three-game set for the first time since dropping 41 on Elon in a road sweep March 13-15, 2015.
- The Pirates welcomed 13,643 fans over the three contests, marking the third-largest three-game series crowd in Clark-LeClair Stadium history.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Beal, Danny (1-0)
L: Austin Odell (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Sam Gates 1
HR: Sam Gates 1 ; Robby Wacker 1
RBI: Sam Gates 3 ; Robby Wacker 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Sam Gates 1 ; Noah Levin 1 ; Robby Wacker 1 ; Bryan Belo 1 ; Anthony Frechette 1
CS: Brett Young 1
HBP: Eddie Micheletti 1
Batting:
2B: Wilcoxen, Justin 2 ; Starling, Jacob 1 ; Clonch, Cam 1 ; Moylan, Josh 1
3B: Starling, Jacob 1
HR: Wilcoxen, Justin 1 ; Clonch, Cam 1 ; Makarewicz, Alec 1 ; Johnson, Ryley 1
RBI: Jenkins-Cowart, Jacob 1 ; Hoover, Lane 1 ; Wilcoxen, Justin 4 ; Starling, Jacob 3 ; Chrismon, Nathan 1 ; Nowak, Luke 1 ; Clonch, Cam 3 ; Makarewicz, Alec 2 ; Johnson, Ryley 2 ; Moylan, Josh 2 ; Berini, Joey 1
SF: Chrismon, Nathan 1 ; Nowak, Luke 1 ; Makarewicz, Alec 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jenkins-Cowart, Jacob 2 ; Hoover, Lane 4 ; Wilcoxen, Justin 4 ; Starling, Jacob 2 ; Chrismon, Nathan 1 ; Clonch, Cam 1 ; RASMUSSEN, Connor 1 ; Makarewicz, Alec 2 ; Williams, Dixon 1 ; Cunningham, Carter 1 ; Johnson, Ryley 1 ; Moylan, Josh 2 ; Berini, Joey 1
SB: Starling, Jacob 1 ; Nowak, Luke 1
HBP: Wilcoxen, Justin 1 ; Starling, Jacob 1 ; Moylan, Josh 1
