Friday, February 14
Greenville, N.C.
12:00 p.m.
East Carolina University
0-1
3
vs
7
George Mason
1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
George Mason
0
0
1
0
0
5
1
0
0
7
8
0
East Carolina
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
3
4
2
Pirates Split Opening Day Twinbill With Patriots
February 14, 2025 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina began its 2025 campaign by taking one of two from George Mason in a season-opening doubleheader Friday afternoon and evening inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Saturday's series finale is now scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch due to impending inclement weather.
The Pirates put much of their new talent on display during the day as 13 players made their debuts in the Purple and Gold.
Game One: George Mason 7, East Carolina 3
The Patriots utilized the long ball to take the initial contest, scoring four runs off a pair of home runs. George Mason out-hit ECU 8-4 and took advantage of two Pirate errors.
Connor Knox was the winner on the bump, tossing three scoreless innings with a walk and strikeout. Ethan Norby was saddled with the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits. He struck out six Patriot batters against no walks in 5.1 innings of work.
Owen Clyne and Evan Blanchard produced two hits apiece while Drew Canody drove in a team-best three runs via a three-run blast in the sixth frame. Braden Burress paced East Carolina with two hits to complement a two-RBI performance out of Dixon Williams.
The sides settled in pretty quickly on the mound, tossing two scoreless innings each. George Mason was the first to scratch the scoreboard in the top of the third thanks to a Jake Butler RBI groundout, but the Pirates responded right away in the home half by loading the bases for Austin Irby who drew a walk to knot the score at one.
The visitors took control in the top of the sixth with a five spot, highlighted by Canody's three-run blast to left field, before Clyne added a seventh run in the top of the seventh in the form of an RBI single that plated James Quinn-Irons from second. Williams accounted for the game's final score in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run shot over the wall in left.
Game Two: East Carolina 4, George Mason 3
Williams went yard for the second time in game two and it proved decisive as his three-run home run to deep center erased a one-run Patriot advantage and handed ECU its first victory of the year.
The Pirates racked up eight hits in the nightcap while the East Carolina bullpen did not surrender an earned run over the final 5.2 innings.
Jackson DiLorenzo secured the win in a 0.2-inning effort. He struck out two while walking four. Ian White Jr. collected his first collegiate save, covering the last 0.2 frames and registering his first strikeout. ECU touched up Logan Rumberger for three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings and handed him his first loss of the campaign.
Alex Bouche notched a team-best two hits in addition to Williams' three RBI. As for the visitors, Lucas Alberti collected a hit and two runs scored to go along with a walk and a strikeout.
Colby Wallace afforded the Pirates their first lead of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the third, but George Mason put up two runs in the top of the fourth via a sacrifice fly and bunt RBI single. The score stayed put until the bottom of the seventh. Walker Barron was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame before Alex Peltier reached on an infield single. Following a strikeout, Williams connected on a 1-0 offering and drilled it to the deepest part of the park for a three-run homer that gave East Carolina the upper hand for good.
The Patriots made it interesting in the top of the ninth, drawing within a run on an RBI groundout, but White Jr. was up to the task, stranding the tying run at third with a strikeout.
Saturday's series finale is now scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch due to impending inclement weather.
The Pirates put much of their new talent on display during the day as 13 players made their debuts in the Purple and Gold.
Game One: George Mason 7, East Carolina 3
The Patriots utilized the long ball to take the initial contest, scoring four runs off a pair of home runs. George Mason out-hit ECU 8-4 and took advantage of two Pirate errors.
Connor Knox was the winner on the bump, tossing three scoreless innings with a walk and strikeout. Ethan Norby was saddled with the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits. He struck out six Patriot batters against no walks in 5.1 innings of work.
Owen Clyne and Evan Blanchard produced two hits apiece while Drew Canody drove in a team-best three runs via a three-run blast in the sixth frame. Braden Burress paced East Carolina with two hits to complement a two-RBI performance out of Dixon Williams.
The sides settled in pretty quickly on the mound, tossing two scoreless innings each. George Mason was the first to scratch the scoreboard in the top of the third thanks to a Jake Butler RBI groundout, but the Pirates responded right away in the home half by loading the bases for Austin Irby who drew a walk to knot the score at one.
The visitors took control in the top of the sixth with a five spot, highlighted by Canody's three-run blast to left field, before Clyne added a seventh run in the top of the seventh in the form of an RBI single that plated James Quinn-Irons from second. Williams accounted for the game's final score in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run shot over the wall in left.
Game Two: East Carolina 4, George Mason 3
Williams went yard for the second time in game two and it proved decisive as his three-run home run to deep center erased a one-run Patriot advantage and handed ECU its first victory of the year.
The Pirates racked up eight hits in the nightcap while the East Carolina bullpen did not surrender an earned run over the final 5.2 innings.
Jackson DiLorenzo secured the win in a 0.2-inning effort. He struck out two while walking four. Ian White Jr. collected his first collegiate save, covering the last 0.2 frames and registering his first strikeout. ECU touched up Logan Rumberger for three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings and handed him his first loss of the campaign.
Alex Bouche notched a team-best two hits in addition to Williams' three RBI. As for the visitors, Lucas Alberti collected a hit and two runs scored to go along with a walk and a strikeout.
Colby Wallace afforded the Pirates their first lead of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the third, but George Mason put up two runs in the top of the fourth via a sacrifice fly and bunt RBI single. The score stayed put until the bottom of the seventh. Walker Barron was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame before Alex Peltier reached on an infield single. Following a strikeout, Williams connected on a 1-0 offering and drilled it to the deepest part of the park for a three-run homer that gave East Carolina the upper hand for good.
CLUTCH. @dixonwilliams3
— ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) February 14, 2025
Pirates lead 4-2 in the 7th🔥🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/Oev4lNTKYC
The Patriots made it interesting in the top of the ninth, drawing within a run on an RBI groundout, but White Jr. was up to the task, stranding the tying run at third with a strikeout.
- East Carolina welcomed an Opening Day crowd of 4,419 through the Clark-LeClair Stadium gates.
- The Pirates are 59-12 at home since the start of the 2023 season.
- After going 0-for-9 with two outs in the opening game, ECU was much better in the second affair at 4-for-12.
- The teams combined to leave 19 runners on base in the nightcap.
- Head Coach Cliff Godwin recorded his 398th career win and is now 29 away from tying Dr. Gary Overton for the most in program history.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Connor Knox (1-0)
L: Norby, Ethan (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Jake Butler 1 ; Drew Canody 1
RBI: Jake Butler 2 ; Owen Clyne 1 ; Evan Blanchard 1 ; Drew Canody 3
SH: Owen Hull 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Lucas Alberti 1 ; James Quinn-Irons 1 ; Jake Butler 1 ; Jonny Wall 1 ; Evan Blanchard 1 ; Andrew Raymond 1 ; Drew Canody 1
SB: Owen Clyne 1
HBP: Lucas Alberti 1 ; James Quinn-Irons 1 ; Owen Hull 1 ; Andrew Raymond 1
Batting:
HR: Williams, Dixon 1
RBI: Williams, Dixon 2 ; Irby, Austin 1
SH: Burress, Braden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burress, Braden 1 ; Williams, Dixon 1 ; Barron, Walker 1
SB: Burress, Braden 1
HBP: Peltier, Alex 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
2b/3b
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
Catcher
/ Baseball
Infield
/ BaseballInfield
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Outfield
/ BaseballInfield/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballInfield
/ BaseballECU Baseball Breaks Ground for the Dick and Sarah Bennett Baseball Building.
Friday, September 05
ECU Baseball NCAA Selection Show
Monday, May 26
ECU's Cliff Godwin Celebrates AAC Championshipmp4
Sunday, May 25
Cliff Godwin ECU Baseball Media Day
Monday, January 27
