Pirates top Pitt on two-hitter

From electronic and staff reports
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

GREENVILLE  — Reid Love, Brett Mabry and Drew Reynolds combined on a two-hitter as East Carolina defeated Pitt 4-2 on Saturday afternoon to improve to 2-0 in the 11th annual Keith LeClair Classic and 5-5 on the season.

Reynolds earned his 26th career save, tying him for the school record with Seth Simmons (2008-2011).

The Pirates will play Ohio State at 2 p.m. today. The Buckeyes are also 2-0 in the event following a 5-4 win over Western Kentucky in the first game Saturday. Ohio State scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to improve to 7-2.

The Panthers scored unearned runs in the first and fifth innings for a tie score at 2. ECU went ahead to stay in the bottom of the fifth at 3-2 as Ian Townsend lifted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep left field.

The Pirates added an insurance run in the sixth as Garrett Brooks delivered an RBI single.

Mabry (1-0) got the win in relief, following the left-handed Love to the mound. Love started and went 4 1/3 innings. He allowed one hit and walked four while striking out three.

Mabry yielded one hit and struck out one without a walk over 3 2/3 innings.

Reynolds struck out the side in the ninth.

Reynolds singled through the right side to start a two-run fourth for the Pirates. Zach Houchins singled up the middle. Reynolds moved to third and Houchins advanced to second on a passed ball. A grounder to second by Ben Fultz allowed Reynolds to come home. Luke Lowery had an RBI bunt single for a 2-1 ECU lead.

The Pirates collected 10 hits. Houchins, Lowery and Reynolds each had two hits.

Pitt (4-4) plays Western Kentucky (6-4) at 10:30 a.m. today.

ECU is expected to send right-hander Davis Kirkpatrick (1-0) to the mound against lefty Zach Farmer (1-1) in a matchup of freshmen in the classic finale against Ohio State.

PAGE UPDATED 03/03/14 02:28 AM.

Copyright © Bonesville.net. All rights rights reserved. No content on this site may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any fashion without explicit written permission from the editor. Information from Bonesville staff members, East Carolina University, Conference USA and other sources was used in composing and/or compiling the articles and data on this site. This site is editorially independent and is not affiliated with East Carolina University or Conference USA. View Bonesville.net's privacy policy. For advertising or other information, e-mail editor@bonesville.net.