GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina softball team pushed its season-opening winning streak to eight straight after recording a pair of victories during opening round action of the 2005 Holiday Inn Express Pirate Classic at the ECU Softball Field Friday afternoon.

Senior Kate Manuse belted a pair of home runs while going 3-of-4 with six RBI to lead the Pirates to a 10-3 victory over Radford in the opener. Junior Krista Jessup also collected three hits in the game, which was blown open in the seventh when ECU racked up five runs on six hits to secure the win. Brently Bridgeforth (2-0) picked up her second win of the season, scattering five hits over seven innings.

Radford got on the scoreboard first with a two-out double in the first, but ECU answered with four in the top of the third. Manuse's two-run single plated Ashley Quick and Shirley Burleson to give the Pirates the lead for good.

In the second game, East Carolina scored a pair of runs in the first three innings before holding on for a 2-1 win over Towson. The Pirates opened the scoring when Beth Nolan's RBI-single scored Krista Jessup before adding another run in the bottom of the third frame on Leigh Savoy's solo blast.

Towson scored late in the top of the seventh, using an Aimee Rosa pinch-hit solo home run to trim the lead to one. ECU sophomore hurler Keli Harrell (3-0) held of the charge to earn the win while picking up eight strikeouts and allowing only one run on five hits.

The Pirates (8-0) return to action Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. against Fordham in a contest which will be played at D.H. Conley High School before meeting Ohio and Army in 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. matchups, respectively, back on the ECU campus.

Holiday Inn Express Pirate Classic Scoreboard:
Friday, Feb. 18
Fordham 5, Radford 4
College of Charleston 7, Towson 2
Villanova 3, Fordham 2
College of Charleston 9, Ohio 1
East Carolina 10, Radford 3
Villanova 4, Ohio 2
East Carolina 2, Towson 1

Saturday February 19th
ECU Field
9:00 Villanova vs. College of Charleston
11:00 College of Charleston vs. Army
1:00 Army vs. Towson
3:00 ECU vs. Ohio
5:00 Army vs. ECU

D.H. Conley HS Field
9:00 Ohio vs. Fordham
11:00 Fordham vs. ECU
1:00 Radford vs. Villanova
3:00 Towson vs. Radford