April 3, 2012

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East Carolina Games 36-37: N.C. State Wednesday, April 4 | 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. ET Raleigh, N.C. (Dail Softball Stadium)

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EAST CAROLINA PIRATES Record 15-20 Last Game L, 4-3 at UCF (4/1) Game Notes East Carolina Notes Statistics 2012 Stats N.C. STATE WOLFPACK Record 15-22 Last Game L, 5-2 vs. Georgia Tech (4/1) Statistics 2012 Stats PIRATE SOFTBALL CENTRAL Gameday Central 2012 Fact Book 2012 Roster C-USA Softball NCAA Softball

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Coming off three-straight setbacks at UCF last weekend that snapped East Carolina's five-game winning streak, the Pirates (15-20) look to start another victory string Wednesday with a 5:00 p.m. nonconference doubleheader at rival N.C. State (15-22). The Wolfpack will also be trying to halt a skid as it was swept by Georgia Tech over the weekend and has suffered losses in nine of its last 10 games.

Last weekend at UCF, the Pirates dropped all three decisions, falling 8-2, 2-0 and 4-3. East Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the opener, but the Knights scored eight of the contest's final nine runs to earn the victory. In game two, the Pirates managed just four hits off freshman Mackenzie Audas. During the Sunday finale, ECU trailed 4-1 going into the seventh. The team scored twice in the frame on RBI singles by senior Priscilla Velasquez and sophomore Jordan Lewis and had the tying run on third with the go-ahead run on second and two outs, but a diving stop by senior shortstop Natalie Land and the throw to first for the out enabled the Knights to hold on for the win.

The Pirates Against The Wolfpack
N.C. State holds a 7-5 edge in the all-time series, which began in 2005, the year after the Wolfpack softball program began. The Pirates lost the first five meetings while being outscored 18-2, but took the next five contests, winning two in extra innings. NCSU reclaimed the series lead a year ago with a pair of one-run victories in Greenville.

The Last Meeting

N.C. State

5

East Carolina

4

April 13, 2011
Greenville, N.C.

N.C. State Takes Extra-Inning Affair
N.C. State used two solid pitching performances and a pair of key hits to defeat East Carolina 2-1 and 5-4 in 10 innings Wednesday evening. In the nightcap, Alicia Abbott hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th to give NCSU the victory.

Recap | Box Score

Last season, N.C. State downed ECU 2-1 and 5-4 in 10 innings. In the opener, a two-run home run by Bethaney Wells in the top of the fourth inning provided all the Wolfpack offense. A bases loaded walk to Jill Jelnick in the bottom of the frame was all the Pirates could muster against Kayla Cox, who held East Carolina to three hits. In the nightcap, Alicia Abbott hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th to give NCSU the victory after the Pirates had led 3-1 through four innings. Sissy Jimenez drove in two runs and Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin had a career-high two hits in the contest.

In the Pirates' last visit to Raleigh, on April 14, 2010, ECU claimed a 1-0 victory in eight innings followed by a 7-0 win. In the opener, Suzanne Riggs' single up the middle with two outs in the top of the eighth plated Charina Sumner, who reached on an infield single. Toni Paisley recorded the win after allowing just four hits and striking out 10. Jimenez powered the offense in the second game, hitting the first two home runs of her career and driving in three runs. Kai Clark also homered to back Faith Sutton's two-hit performance in the circle.

Success Against The State
Last Wednesday, East Carolina headed to UNC Wilmington and won twice. The doubleheader sweep gave the Pirates 19 victories in their last 23 contests against in-state competition.

East Carolina defeated UNCG twice and Campbell once near the end of 2009 and went 11-0 versus North Carolina programs in 2010. A year ago, the Pirates stretched the in-state winning streak to 16 consecutive with an 8-0 win over UNCW and a 6-0 victory against Campbell.

Last April, ECU fell 2-1 at UNCW and then dropped the two decisions versus N.C. State. This season, the Pirates got back on the winning track with a 2-1 win over UNCG on Feb. 17. East Carolina fell 4-2 at North Carolina on March 19, but bounced back with the two wins against the Seahawks last week. In the last 23 games versus in-state opponents, East Carolina has outscored them 130-29.

Waiting On No. 675 To Arrive
East Carolina head coach Tracey Kee entered last weekend's series at UCF needing just one more win to reach 675 in her career. The three losses have kept her at 674. The Richmond, Va., native is in her 26th year at East Carolina, 16th as head coach, and is the two-time reigning National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Mideast Region Coaching Staff-of-the-Year honoree. She stands 36th among active NCAA Division I coaches in wins and is 29th in winning percentage at .655.

With Kozlowski Nearing No. 475
The three losses in Orlando over the weekend also left ECU associate head coach Natalie Kozlowski's victory total at 472. Kozlowski, in her 12th year at East Carolina and sixth as an associate head coach, joined Kee as the recipient of the last two NFCA Mideast staff-of-the-year awards. Since the start of the 2001 campaign when Kozlowski arrived in Greenville, the Pirates have amassed a record of 472-272-1 (.634 winning percentage). In eight of those seasons, the team has reached 40 or more victories

ECU And NCSU Tale Of The Tape

Individual Comparisons