Thursday, February 13
Greenville, N.C.
6:30 p.m.
East Carolina University
vs
Radford
Pirates Open Pirate Clash On Thursday Night Against Radford
February 12, 2025 | Softball
| Games 5-9: Pirate Clash | |
| Coverage | Feb. 13 vs. Radford (Watch | Live Stats) Feb. 14 vs. No. 22 Boston (Watch | Live Stats) Feb. 14 vs. Radford (Watch | Live Stats) Feb. 15 vs. No. 22 Boston (Watch | Live Stats) Feb. 15 vs. UMBC (Watch | Live Stats) |
| Venue | Max R. Joyner Family Stadium | Greenville, N.C. |
| Statistics | East Carolina | Radford | Boston | UMBC |
| Social Media |  @ecu_softball (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ #WeBelieve |
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GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina softball team is set to take the field at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium for the first time in 2025 as the Pirates open up the Pirate Clash at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday against Radford.Â
The game will be streamed via ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson (pxp) and Courtney Layton (analyst) on the call. Joining ECU and Radford in the weekend tournament will be No. 22/23 (D1Softball/NFCA) Boston and UMBC. ECU went 2-2 last week at the Gamecock Invitational, defeating Saint Francis and Providence but falling short to South Carolina and Virginia.
The Pirates are coming off a 38-19 season as the team tallied their most wins in a season since the 2011 campaign when ECU posted a 41-22 record, won the Conference USA Championship for the second straight season and appeared in an NCAA Regional for the second straight year. The 13 conference wins for the Pirates in 2024 were the most for the program in the American since joining prior to the 2015 season. ECU also recorded a winning season for the first time since 2020 when ECU's year finished at 14-9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ECU's high-powered offense is headlined by Emma Jackson and Morgan Johnson as the pair combined for 26 of the Pirates' 44 home runs in 2024. Jackson was named to Softball America's and D1Softball's Preseason Top 100 after a breakout sophomore season, batting .397 with 50 RBI and hit 24 doubles just two away from breaking the single-season doubles program record of 26 set by Kate Manuse in 2004. Johnson also exploded on the scene as a big bat for ECU, hitting .364 with 47 RBI and Johnson was ranked as the 12th-best first baseman in the country by D1Softball. Jackson and Johnson's strong seasons led to the pair earning All-AAC Second Team honors as well as NFCA All-Mideast Region Honors.Â
2024 AAC All-Rookie Team member Taylor Apple returns to lead ECU in the circle after posting a 14-8 record with a 2.62 ERA and 106 strikeouts, becoming the first Pirate freshman since Toni Paisley in 2007 to record 100 or more Ks in their first year. Senior Jordan Hatch and D1Softball D100 Freshman Watchlist member Kendall Frost provide the Pirates with a strong one-two-three punch on their pitching staff. Â The Pirates also return key positional pieces including catchers Annie Kate Dalton and Joie Fittante, outfielders Anna Sawyer, Kanisha Anderson and Hannah Evans and infielders Logan Sutton, Mary-Kathryn Scott, Makenzie Mason and Hailey Massaro. ECU adds two transfers to its infield in Trinity Nichols (Syracuse) and Chloe Geijer (Indiana). In addition to Frost, the Pirates welcome four other freshmen in Jenna Krol, Gabby Fowler, Brooke Masingale and Ava Fisher.
The Radford Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Radford 24-4 as the Pirates have a 14-0 record against the Highlanders at home. The last meeting between the two teams came in 2023 in the Pirate Clash with ECU winning both contests, 8-3 and 6-4 respectively.
The Boston Series
The Pirates and Terriers have only met twice with ECU winning the inaugural matchup 1-0 in 1993 and Boston claiming the most recent meeting, 3-2, on May 14, 1994.
The UMBC Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with UMBC 19-9 but the Retrievers took the last contest, 6-5, on Feb. 18, 2018 at the Pirate Clash.
Up Next
East Carolina hosts Duke for a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 and 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina softball team is set to take the field at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium for the first time in 2025 as the Pirates open up the Pirate Clash at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday against Radford.Â
The game will be streamed via ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson (pxp) and Courtney Layton (analyst) on the call. Joining ECU and Radford in the weekend tournament will be No. 22/23 (D1Softball/NFCA) Boston and UMBC. ECU went 2-2 last week at the Gamecock Invitational, defeating Saint Francis and Providence but falling short to South Carolina and Virginia.
The Pirates are coming off a 38-19 season as the team tallied their most wins in a season since the 2011 campaign when ECU posted a 41-22 record, won the Conference USA Championship for the second straight season and appeared in an NCAA Regional for the second straight year. The 13 conference wins for the Pirates in 2024 were the most for the program in the American since joining prior to the 2015 season. ECU also recorded a winning season for the first time since 2020 when ECU's year finished at 14-9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ECU's high-powered offense is headlined by Emma Jackson and Morgan Johnson as the pair combined for 26 of the Pirates' 44 home runs in 2024. Jackson was named to Softball America's and D1Softball's Preseason Top 100 after a breakout sophomore season, batting .397 with 50 RBI and hit 24 doubles just two away from breaking the single-season doubles program record of 26 set by Kate Manuse in 2004. Johnson also exploded on the scene as a big bat for ECU, hitting .364 with 47 RBI and Johnson was ranked as the 12th-best first baseman in the country by D1Softball. Jackson and Johnson's strong seasons led to the pair earning All-AAC Second Team honors as well as NFCA All-Mideast Region Honors.Â
2024 AAC All-Rookie Team member Taylor Apple returns to lead ECU in the circle after posting a 14-8 record with a 2.62 ERA and 106 strikeouts, becoming the first Pirate freshman since Toni Paisley in 2007 to record 100 or more Ks in their first year. Senior Jordan Hatch and D1Softball D100 Freshman Watchlist member Kendall Frost provide the Pirates with a strong one-two-three punch on their pitching staff. Â The Pirates also return key positional pieces including catchers Annie Kate Dalton and Joie Fittante, outfielders Anna Sawyer, Kanisha Anderson and Hannah Evans and infielders Logan Sutton, Mary-Kathryn Scott, Makenzie Mason and Hailey Massaro. ECU adds two transfers to its infield in Trinity Nichols (Syracuse) and Chloe Geijer (Indiana). In addition to Frost, the Pirates welcome four other freshmen in Jenna Krol, Gabby Fowler, Brooke Masingale and Ava Fisher.
The Radford Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Radford 24-4 as the Pirates have a 14-0 record against the Highlanders at home. The last meeting between the two teams came in 2023 in the Pirate Clash with ECU winning both contests, 8-3 and 6-4 respectively.
The Boston Series
The Pirates and Terriers have only met twice with ECU winning the inaugural matchup 1-0 in 1993 and Boston claiming the most recent meeting, 3-2, on May 14, 1994.
The UMBC Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with UMBC 19-9 but the Retrievers took the last contest, 6-5, on Feb. 18, 2018 at the Pirate Clash.
Up Next
East Carolina hosts Duke for a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 and 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
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