Feb. 17, 2006

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Senior Brently Bridgeforth and junior Keli Harrell each claimed a complete game, shutout victory on Friday as East Carolina opened the 2006 Holiday Inn Express Pirate Classic with wins over Army, 7-0, and Seton Hall, 3-0. The duo combined to limit their opponents to just six hits in 14 innings.

With the victories East Carolina improved to 7-0 on the season after posting a 5-0 mark at the FAU Worth Invitational to open the season last weekend.

After being limited to just one hit in the first three innings of the tournament opener against Army, ECU collected three hits in the fourth inning and plated a pair of runs. Krista Jessup and Jessica Johnson started the attack with consecutive one-out singles before Alison Monce drove in both runners with a two-out base hit.

Jessup, Monce, Paige Baggett and Erin St. Ledger each collected two hits during the Pirates' 10-hit attack against the Black Knights.

The Pirates then plated another two runs in the sixth before adding three runs in the top of the seventh to claim a 7-0 victory over Army.

Bridgeforth yielded just four hits in her second complete game performance of the season and limited the Black Knights to just one hit over the final four innings. She struck out five and issued just one base-on-balls.

Against Seton Hall, Harrell was simply masterful over the final six innings of play. After allowing two hits in the first inning, she didn't allow another hit or runner past first base the rest of the game and tossed her second complete game shutout of the season in four appearances as ECU claimed a 3-0 victory.

Seton Hall attempted to score the game's first run on a double steal in the first inning, but Baggett's return throw Jessup at the plate caught Caitlin White stealing before Harrell struck Shannon Pease, her first of seven, to end the Hall's initial scoring threat.

St. Ledger put East Carolina on the board first by scoring from second base on an infield hit by Johnson. Jessup moved over to third during the play on a throwing error and then plated ECU's second run on a sacrifice fly by Monce.

ECU added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Sarah Bibee scored from first base by stealing second base and then maneuvering around second and third base on a pair of throwing errors.

East Carolina continues play in the Holiday Inn Express Pirate Classic Saturday afternoon with two more games. ECU will face Towson at 1 o'clock followed by a game against Michigan State at 3 p.m. Both games will be played on the ECU Softball Field.

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