View from the East Friday, June 1, 2012 By Al Myatt

Storm clouds Pirates' opener

TURNING POINT

St. John's takes the fifth en route to rout

By Al Myatt
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

CHAPEL HILL — Third-seeded St. John's used a bloop and a blunder in the fifth inning to begin pulling away from second-seeded East Carolina in the opening game of the Chapel Hill regional in the NCAA baseball tournament on Friday.

The Red Storm expanded their lead from 2-0 to 5-0 in the decisive frame and eventually subdued the Pirates with unexpected ease, 11-3.

ECU freshman starter Jeff Hoffman gave way to Andy Smithmyer with one out and runners at second and third in the top of the fifth. Matt Wessinger, the Storm's leading hitter with a .359 average, was the first to face Smithmyer. He dropped a flare over Pirates first baseman Chase McDonald that descended about a foot inside the right field line. That scored a run for a 3-0 lead.

Two more runs came in when Frank Schwindel singled and ECU left fielder John Wooten rifled a throw past third baseman Corey Thompson that turned into a pinball adventure.

The Pirates went from being within realistic striking distance to fullscale catch-up mode.

Smithmyer buckled down to strand Schwindel with a pop-up and a strikeout before ECU senior catcher Zach Wright laced a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth.

The opportunity for an answer to the three-run inning by the Red Storm imploded with a lapse in judgment from Wright, who tried to go to third on a grounder to Wessinger at short. Wessinger's eyes lit up like he was looking at a winning lottery ticket as he fired to third baseman Sean O'Hare. Wright tried to put on the brakes and retreat but he was tagged out as he attempted to shift into reverse.

ECU coach Billy Godwin saw the situation as a snapshot of the Pirates' struggles on a breezy day.

"Not pointing fingers at anyone but that's just an example of trying to do too much," said the ECU skipper. "He's a way better player than that."

Godwin said the Pirates address that base-running situation on a regular basis.

"Unfortunately, that kind of summed up," he said. "I feel like guys are trying to create things that aren't there. We've got to slow the game down a little bit and focus on the game. The game speeds up on you and you do things that are uncharacteristic. I think that's where some of our guys are right now."

Godwin was accompanied by Bryan Bass (two hits, one RBI), Chase McDonald (two hits) and Corey Thompson (two hits, two RBIs) at the postgame news conference. [Select press conference audio replay in a new window...]

The Pirates voiced their determination going forward in the double-elimination regional. ECU (35-23-1) plays Cornell (31-16-1) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. today.

Godwin planned to start senior left-hander Kevin Brandt (7-6, 1.85 earned run average) this afternoon.

"He's probably the top leader on our team," Thompson said of Brandt. "He always goes out there and pounds the strike zone. He's a competitor. He's going to go out there and give it 110 percent every time."

Bass said Brandt and the Pirates have been in this situation before. Brandt started a game at Virginia last year when ECU beat the Red Storm, 6-4, in a rematch to reach the regional final.

"It's an elimination game," Bass said. "We all know that. (Brandt) is going to know that also. ... He's going to go out there and give it all he's got. ... I have all the confidence in the world in him."

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PAGE UPDATED 06/02/12 05:38 AM.