Bats gone wild as Bucs outslug Jax

From electronic and staff reports
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East Carolina pounded out 21 hits, including two home runs and seven doubles, to wear down Jacksonville in a 16-9 batters' free-for-all Saturday afternoon at John Sessions Stadium.

The Pirates scored in batches, putting up four runs in the third inning, three in the fifth, seven in the sixth and two in the eighth to counter an 18-hit Jacksonville onslaught that would have achieved victory on an ordinary day.

But this was no ordinary day.

Junior third baseman Zach Houchins and freshman catcher Luke Lowery each included a round-tripper among his three hits and junior shortstop Jack Reinheimer went 5-for-6 to help ECU end a three-game losing skid and even its weekend series with the Dolphins at one game apiece.

Jacksonville senior second baseman Jake Huxtable was 3-for-5, including a first inning home run that staked the Dolphins to an early 1-0 lead.

Houchins' two-run homer in the top of the third capped off a four-run eruption that gave ECU a 4-1 advantage and signaled more fireworks to come.

The Dolphins responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third on five hits and a walk to move in front 5-4.

After a scoreless fourth, the Pirates exploded for 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 14-5 lead and firm control of the game. The key hits in the uprising were junior pinch-hitter Ben Fultz's two-run double in the fifth and senior outfielder Jay Cannon's two-run double and Lowery's two-run homer in the sixth.

Although the pitchers had little to brag about on this day of offensive pyrotechnics, ECU starter Ryan Williams issued only one walk through six innings, preventing Jacksonville from matching the Pirates score for score. The junior righthander improved to 4-0.

ECU will try to win the series Sunday when the teams face off at 1 p.m.

PAGE UPDATED 03/17/13 12:06 AM.

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