Pirates produce win despite tame bats

From electronic and staff reports
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East Carolina got only half as many hits as Stony Brook on Saturday but prevailed in the statistic that mattered most — scoring twice as many runs — in capturing a 2-1 victory on a day of threatening weather at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Junior centerfielder Philip Clark's sacrifice fly with one out in the seventh inning drove in junior rightfielder Jay Cannon for what proved to be the decisive run as the Pirates (7-2) defeated the Seawolves for the second straight day. ECU shut out the visitors from New York 1-0 on Friday.

Cannon led off the bottom of the seventh with a double — one of only four ECU hits on the day — and advanced to third on a fielder's choice before Clark launched his timely fly ball to center field.

The Pirates gained a temporary advantage early, picking up an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Sophomore shortstop Jack Reinheimer reached on a fielding error by sophomore first baseman Kevin Courtney to lead off the inning, then moved to second when junior leftfielder Bryan Bass walked. Reinheimer scored on junior first baseman John Wooten's one-out single through the left side.

Two innings later, Stony Brook pulled even when junior centerfielder Travis Jankowski doubled to left field, took third on a sacrifice fly by junior third baseman William Carmona and came home on a single through the left side by freshman designated hitter Kevin Krause.

Sophomore righthander Tanner Merritt (1-1) got credit for the victory after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings. Junior southpaw Tyler Joyner gave up 7 hits in 6 1/3 innings before giving way to Merritt, who surrendered a leadoff single in the eighth but kept the Seawolves off the scoreboard.

Sophomore righthander Drew Reynolds came on in the ninth and closed out the win without allowing a hit, recording his fifth save.

Sophomore righthander Brandon McNitt (2-1) hurled four-hit ball in going the distance for Stony Brook.

East Carolina will go for the sweep when the teams wrap up their series on Sunday. First pitch is at 1 p.m.

Stony Brook (4-2) arrived in Greenville unbeaten and with a 15-game road winning streak.

PAGE UPDATED 03/06/12 02:39 AM.

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