Softball Stifles Memphis In Series Finale, 4-0

Sunday, March 26

Memphis, Tenn.

Noon

East Carolina University

17-16, 1-2

Memphis

17-13, 2-1

East Carolina

Memphis

March 26, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Senior RHP Lydia Ritchie limited Memphis to just two hits over the first 5.1 innings of Sunday's series finale as East Carolina blanked the Tigers 4-0 at the Tigers Softball Complex. The win was the first for ECU in conference play this season.

Team Records: East Carolina: (17-16, 1-2 AAC) | Memphis: (17-13, 2-1 AAC)

The Rundown
Senior outfielder Ciara Ervin provided a spark at the top of the lineup, recording two hits, two runs scored, a double and a home run. Junior infielder Meredith Burroughs also chipped in with two hits and drove in a pair of runs. Kyler Trosclair and Lindsey Stickrod notched the only two hits of the day for Memphis.

Ritchie (9-6) was extremely efficient, walking just one batter and striking out four using just 69 pitches. Sophomore RHP Mary Williams finished the job on her birthday, tossing the final 1.2 innings and tallying two strikeouts. Molly Smith was tagged with the loss for the home side, surrendering two runs on three hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.

How They Scored
East Carolina took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Ervin roped a leadoff double to right field and later scored on a Burroughs sacrifice fly. A pair of one-out walks drawn by senior infielder Megan Quick and Ervin in the top of the third led to the Pirates' second run of the contest as Quick crossed home plate on a sharp single to right field off the bat of Burroughs.

ECU pulled further ahead in the top of the fifth inning when Ervin drove a pitch over the left center field fence for her first home run of the campaign to increase the Pirate lead to 3-0. East Carolina tacked on another run in the top of the sixth when redshirt freshman infielder Tate McClellan ripped a single through the left side with the bases loaded, making it a 4-0 contest.

Statistics of the Game
After allowing 10 of 12 Tiger leadoff batters to reach base in the first two games of the series, Memphis did not have a single leadoff runner get on in the finale. The Pirates were also 2-for-3 with a runner on third and less than two outs.

Up Next
East Carolina returns to the Tar Heel State this week for a Wednesday doubleheader at UNCW. First pitch for game one at Boseman Field is scheduled for 4 p.m.