March 9, 2008

Final Stats

Box Score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. -Justin Bristow allowed just two runs on four hits in seven innings to help East Carolina to a 9-3 win over Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Fifth Annual Keith LeClair Classic inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win, the Pirates improve to 8-4 on the year and extended their current winning streak to seven games.

Bristow, who tossed a complete game two-hit shutout last Sunday against Monmouth, struck out a career-high seven batters while walking just one before turning the game over to freshman Brad Mincey in the eighth inning. Mincey allowed one run on two hits in one inning of work. Bailey Daniels made his season debut working a perfect ninth inning recording one strikeout.

Andy Moye suffered his first loss of the season dropping to 2-1 after working five innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on four hits with four strikeouts. Tony Chisman worked 2/3's of an inning giving up two hits with one strikeout before giving way to Charlie Strohecker ( 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER) and Brian Wilkerson (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER)

Offensively for the Pirates, Dustin Harrington (2-for-3), Trent Whitehead (2-for-4) and Jamie Ray (2-for-4) each collected multiple hits, while Ray and Austin Homan (1-for-2) each drove in two runs.

Ray's two-out two-RBI single to left in the second put the Pirates up 2-0. Henderson led off the inning with a double down the left field line then moved to third on a wild pitch. Homan, who made his first collegiate start as the designated hitter, walked then moved up 90 feet when Harrington was plunked by a Moye pitch.

Georgia Southern (6-6) cut into the Pirates lead in the third putting the score at 2-1. Jeremy Beckham singled up the middle with one out, stole second and third and came home on a throwing error by ECU's Corey Kemp.

ECU improved its lead, 5-1, in the bottom of the third when Henderson reached on a fielding error by third baseman A.J. Wirnsberger that scored Ryan Wood from third. Wood was plunked by another Moye pitch then moved to second on a failed pickoff and third on Stephen Batts successful sacrifice bunt. Corey Kemp kept the scoring going with a double to left-center that platted Henderson. Homan drove in his first career RBI with a sac fly to center field that scored Kemp from third.

Phillip Porter singled home Brian Pierce in the fifth to close the ECU lead to 5-2. Pierce singled to right to lead off the frame then stole second before crossing home on Porter's seventh RBI of the season.

The Pirates extended their lead to four, 6-2, in the fifth on Henderson's sac fly to right field that scored Wood from third. Wood led off the inning with a double down the line then moved to third on Batts ground out to short.

Homan picked up his first career hit in the seventh when he singled through the right side scoring Batts from second. Batts singled to right-center with one out then moved to second when Henderson was hit by a pitch. After Homan's single left runner at first and third with two outs, Harrington singled to right plating Henderson for an 8-2 ECU lead.

The Eagles added a run in the eighth to draw the score to 8-3, but Harrison Eldridge's sac fly in the bottom half of the frame pushed the Pirates score to 9-3. Whitehead singled to right, stole second and took third on Ray's single setting up Harrison's at-bat.

The Pirates will continue its 13-game home stand on Tuesday, March 11 against VCU with a first pitch start time scheduled for 3 p.m.

GAME NOTES: