TicketsECU Steals Win From Bearcats, 15-13
Pirates rally for five ninth inning runs in win
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/16/2004
Jack Nelson went 5-for-6 with four RBI on Friday vs. East Carolina. |
AMELIA, Ohio---No. 14 East Carolina rallied for nine runs in the final three innings of play to overcome a seven-run deficit, stealing a 15-13 win from Cincinnati in a wild Conference USA series opener on Friday at Midland Field.
Trailing 13-10 and down to their final out in the ninth inning, the Pirates exploded for five runs to take the lead and win from the Bearcats. East Carolina is 29-6 on the year and 10-3 in C-USA, while the Bearcats fall to 7-26 overall and 2-11 in league play.
East Carolina sent 11 batters to the plate in the decisive ninth inning, with all five go-ahead runs coming against losing pitcher Tony Maynard (1-4). Darryl Lawhorn led the inning off with a double, but Maynard got back-to-back groundouts to put the Pirates? collective backs against the wall. But Brett Lindgren singled home Lawhorn and one batter later, Ryan Jones tied the game with a double to left field. After an intentional walk to Trevor Lawhorn, reliever Josh Kay yielded a go-ahead base hit to Drew Costanzo, with the scoring rounded out when Kay walked in Darryl Lawhorn with the bases loaded.
The defeat for the Bearcats came despite a season-high in both runs and hits (18). Jack Nelson was the star of the day for the Bearcats, as he went five-for-six with four RBI, including his second home run of the year. Nelson?s five-hit effort was the first by a Bearcat since Brad Schutz collected five against Saint Louis on May 16, 2002. Drew Saylor also had big day with his second career four-hit game, with the sophomore shortstop also blasting his fourth homer of the year.
The Pirates, C-USA?s leader in team home runs, scored nine of their first 10 runs of the game via the long ball. Trevor Lawhorn hit two of the bombs, among his four hits, while he added four runs scored and five RBI. Jones picked up three hits and three RBI, while also going deep for East Carolina.
East Carolina came out firing against UC starter Chase Lampl, scoring three runs in the first two innings. Trevor Lawhorn got the Pirates on the board with a two-run blast in the first, while brother Darryl added a solo blast an inning later.
But faced with the deficit, the Bearcats exploded for their best inning of the year, sending 14 batters to the plate en route to posting nine fourth inning runs. Nelson provided the biggest hit of the inning when he yanked a pitch over the right field wall with two runners on. Pat LeMasters, Erik Eitel, Mark Muscenti and Brian Beltz all picked up RBI in the inning.
The Pirates put a dent in UC?s 9-3 advantage in the fifth, when Trevor Lawhorn sent Lampl to the showers with a three-run blast that ended the day for the freshman hurler. The Bearcats got one of the runs back in their half of the fifth when Nelson singled home Muscenti.
Cincinnati extended its lead to 13-6 in the sixth inning with three more runs, but those markers would prove to be the last of the day for the Bearcats. Jon DeLuca started the inning with a single, setting the table for Saylor?s blast to left field. LeMasters followed with a single and two outs later, Muscenti brought him home with a single through the left side.
But it was in the top of the seventh inning that things started to fall apart for the Bearcats. With Jeff Griffin on the hill, Trevor Lawhorn led the inning off with a double. One out later, Ryan Norwood took UC?s sophomore lefty over the right field wall to make it 13-8. Three batters later, John Poppert singled home Darryl Lawhorn to end the day for Griffin. With runners on the corner, Maynard proved up to the task as he struck out Mike Grace and got Jamie Paige to hit into a fielder?s choice to end the inning. The eighth inning drew East Carolina to 13-10 when Jones led the inning off with a home run.
The Bearcats had a chance to rally themselves in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Muscenti collected his third hit of the day, a single to right center to start the frame. After a Beltz ground out, Nelson picked up hit number five, putting runners on the corner and Steve Pickerell at the plate. But ECU reliever Matt Bishop struck out UC?s catcher looking on a very close strike three and got DeLuca to fly out to right to end the game.
In addition to the headlining days by Nelson and Saylor, Muscenti added three hits, two runs and two RBI, while DeLuca and LeMasters each added a pair of hits. In going 0-for-6, Beltz saw his career-best nine-game hit streak come to an end. East Carolina got two hits apiece by Paige, Norwood, Darryl Lawhorn and Mark Minicozzi.
Scott Andrews earned the pitching victory for East Carolina, improving to 2-0 after 2.1 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. Bishop recorded the final three outs for his second save. Maynard took the loss, getting tagged for six earned runs on five hits in 2.1 innings on the mound.
After a wild opener, the two teams will gear up for game two, set for 4 p.m. on Saturday back at Midland. Eric Eckman gets the start on the mound for Cincinnati, being opposed by ECU?s Brody Taylor.