Pirates snatch the booty from Bulldogs

From electronic and staff reports
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Zach Houchins' RBI double in the top of the 10th gave East Carolina its first lead of the game and Luke Lowery's bunt single pushed across an insurance run as the Pirates captured a 9-7 comeback win over Gardner-Webb Tuesday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium.

Designated hitter-turned-stopper Drew Reynolds took over the mound duties in the bottom of the inning and retired the Runnin' Bulldogs in order to nail down the victory. The save was the junior righthander's third straight and 11th of the season.

Gardner-Webb took the lead out of the gates with a first-inning score and built the advantage to as much as 7-3 with a three-run seventh inning, but ECU had an answer with a four-run flurry in the top of the eighth to knot the game.

Jack Reinheimer led off the frame with a free pass, advanced to third on Reynolds' double to right and scored on a single up the middle by Zach Houchins, who advanced to second on the throw.

Chase McDonald's RBI groundout pushed Reynolds across the plate and a single to right by Philip Clark brought in Houchins.

Clark came home on a Lowery double to left center to square the tally at 7-7.

Ryan Williams (6-2) got credit for the victory with an effective relief performance. The junior righthander, who gave up one hit and one walk in 2 1/3 innings, blanked the Bulldogs in the eighth and ninth to set the stage for the Pirates' extra-inning heroics.

McDonald got the 10th-inning drama going without a one-out single before giving way to pinch-runner Jay Cannon. Cannon moved to second on a wild pitch and cruised home on Fultz's two-bagger.

Clark followed with a single to center, advancing Fultz to third.

Lowery then laid down a bunt to bring home Fultz for the final score.

ECU, which has won three in a row and seven of its last eight, improved to 24-21.

Gardner-Webb fell to 22-22-1.

The Pirates return home for a Conference USA weekend series with Southern Miss that gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday.

PAGE UPDATED 04/30/13 11:19 PM.

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