Monarchs hold off ECU

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

GREENVILLE  — East Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before the threat fizzled in a 5-3 nonconference loss to Old Dominion at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Monday night.

The Monarchs scored lone runs in each of five innings.

Ian Townsend singled to center field to start ECU's threat in its last at-bat. Freshman Charlie Yorgen singled to center field with one out. A ground out moved the runners to second and third.

A wild pitch allowed Townsend to score. Luke Lowery had an RBI single to draw the Pirates within 5-3.

ODU's Brad Gero struck out the only batter he faced to end the game and pick up his eighth save.

The Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning as ECU starter David Lucroy (1-4) walked leadoff batter Josiah Burney. A wild pitch allowed Burney to take second. He moved to third on a ground out and scored on a single by Josh Eldridge.

Bryce Harman singled to left field in the bottom of the second and Yorgen walked. A single by Garrett Brooks loaded the bases. Harman tied the score at 1 on a passed ball.

Tyler Urps had a one-out single for ODU (25-16) in the fifth and he stole second. A double down the left field line by Nick Walker scored the go-ahead run.

The Monarchs added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth en route to their third win in four games with ECU this season.

ODU took two of three from the Pirates in a Conference USA series in Norfolk on April 11-13.

Drew Reynolds was 2-for-4 to lead ECU's eight-hit attack.

Lucroy pitched six and two-thirds innings, allowing five hits and four runs, all earned. He walked three and struck out three.

Walker, Burney, Eldridge and Urps had two hits each for ODU. Joey Benitez (1-1) got the win in relief after coming in for Monarchs starter Greg Tomchick in the second inning.

ECU (24-17) hosts North Carolina (23-17) at 6 p.m. tonight.

PAGE UPDATED 04/22/14 12:47 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.