Pirates gain split with shutout

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

GREENVILLE  — A pair of one-run games with Marshall on Saturday left East Carolina 1-1 in Conference USA. The deciding game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Thundering Herd took the first game 9-8 as ECU scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before stranding the tying run at third base.

Left-hander Reid Love and Ryan Williams combined to shut out Marshall in the second game as the Pirates prevailed, 1-0.

The only run of the series-evening matchup came after Ian Townsend led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double to right field. A single by Ben Fultz moved him to third and a sacrifice fly by Travis Watkins brought him home.

Love (1-1) went five and one-third innings for the win. He allowed three hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Love threw 100 pitches with 62 strikes.

Williams picked up his first save with three and two-thirds innings of work as he allowed one hit and recorded one strikeout. Williams reached 49 on his pitch count with 33 deliveries in the zone.

The Pirates (8-6) outhit Marshall (4-9) by a 10-4 margin in the second game. Zach Houchins had three hits with a pair of doubles. Fultz and Watkins each had a pair of hits.

The Herd never trailed in the league opener for both teams after scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.

Drew Reynolds finished 2-for-3 in the first game, which was moved from Friday due to the forecast of unsuitable weather. Reynolds also had three RBIs and scored twice.

Houchins and Luke Lowery also had a pair of hits in the postponed contest. Houchins drove in a pair of runs and Lowery had one RBI.

ECU starter Jeff Hoffman (0-2) struggled with his control in the noon tilt, issuing seven of 11 walks drawn by Marshall.

Today's probable pitchers are a pair of right-handers with ECU freshman Davis Kirkpatrick (1-0, 2.89 earned run average) opposing Matt Margaritonda (0-2, 4.80).

PAGE UPDATED 03/09/14 12:44 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.