Smithmyer shines, ECU strolls

From electronic and staff reports
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Andy Smithmyer hurled 6 2/3 scoreless innings and got all the offensive support he needed courtesy of a 6th inning breakdown by his Elon pitching counterparts as East Carolina captured a 4-1 victory Tuesday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

A junior righthander, Smithmyer (4-2) struck out five and parceled out four hits and three walks in a solid starting stint that lasted long enough for him to earn credit for the win.

Elon junior lefthander Andrew MacDonald went toe to toe with Smithmyer for 5 2/3 innings, giving up only five hits and a pair of bases on balls. That's when the pitching duel lost its luster

After yielding singles to Drew Reynolds and John Wooten interspersed with the recording of a pair of outs on a fly ball and a groundout, MacDonald (4-3) intentionally walked Jack Reinheimer to load the bases. John Antonelli relieved MacDonald and promptly walked Nick Thompson, Philip Clark and Ben Fultz, forcing in Reynolds, Wooten and Reinheimer.

Jordan Darnell then took over for Antonelli and let loose a wild pitch, allowing pinch runner Bryan Bass, who subbed for Thompson, to cross the plate.

Darnell settled down from there, limiting East Carolina (32-16) to a lone hit over the final 2 1/3 frames. But the damage was done and the Pirates' four-run inheritance held up.

Smithmyer experienced his own difficulties finding the plate in the 7th. After issuing three straight two-out walks, Smithmyer handed off to sophomore righthander Tanner Merritt, who fanned Michael Elefante to end the threat.

Merritt registered four KOs while surrendering two hits over 2 1/3 innings to chalk up his eighth save of the season. He was nicked for an unearned run in the 9th but, for the Phoenix (28-24), it was too little, too late.

Each team was able to muster only six hits. Reynolds had a pair of hits and two RBIs for the Pirates and Quinn Bower hit safely twice with one RBI for Elon.

The Pirates host North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday (6 p.m.) and then hit the road to wrap up the Conference USA regular season with a three-game series at Southern Miss starting Friday (7 p.m.)

PAGE UPDATED 05/09/12 05:57 AM.

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