Error lets Owls fly the
coop
From electronic and staff reports
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All rights reserved.
Rice broke up a scoreless pitching duel with
three unearned innings in the ninth inning to capture a 3-0 Conference USA
victory over East Carolina Friday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Held in check by ECU starter Jeff Hoffman
through eight innings, the Owls got on the scoreboard through unconventional
means in the top of the final frame.
After back-to-back singles by Christian
Stringer and Ford Stainback, Michael Aquino's sacrifice bunt moved the
runners to second and third.
Kennan Cook followed with a bunt that was
fielded by ECU senior second baseman Bryan Bass, whose misfire to the plate
in an attempt to cut down Stringer bounded well past freshman catcher Travis
Watkins.
As the Pirates scrambled to retrieve the ball
near the backstop on the third base side, Stringer and Stainback raced to
the plate for what proved to be the decisive runs.
Rice added an insurance run before the inning
was over when Geoff Perrott singled and was driven home on Michael
Ratterree's two-out double.
Hoffman then gave way to junior designated
hitter/righthanded relief pitcher Drew Reynolds who got the final out on a
fly ball.
The late turn of events sullied a sterling
performance by Hoffman, who fell to 3-4 with the loss. The sophomore
righthander struck out nine and muzzled the Owls on four hits until the
ninth.
Junior righthander Austin Kubitza and
sophomore rightie Zech Lemond kept ECU's batters swinging at air for much of
the game, combining for 14 strikeouts and scattering five hits.
Lemond took over for Kubitza with one out in
the eighth and got credit for the victory. After fanning the first four
batters he faced, Lemond (3-1) surrendered a double to junior third baseman
Zach Houchins with two outs in the ninth before sealing the outcome by
retiring Reynolds on a fly to right field.
ECU (14-16, 0-4 C-USA) will try to square up
the series when it hosts the Owls (22-10, 5-2) Saturday at 2 p.m.
PAGE UPDATED
04/06/13 04:05 AM.
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