VCU edges Pirates, 3-2

By Al Myatt
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

GREENVILLE — A throwing error by East Carolina catcher Tyler Watkins on a pickoff attempt allowed Virginia Commonwealth pinch runner Haiden Lamb to score the winning run from third base in the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Rams (11-10) edged ECU 3-2 to take the nonconference series two games to one.

VCU sandwiched a pair of one-run wins around a 9-3 ECU triumph on Saturday.

The Pirates dropped to 16-8 this season with six of their losses to teams from Virginia, including three to then No. 2-Virginia (Feb. 13-14) and one to Liberty (Feb. 22) in the Keith LeClair Classic, which ECU went on to win.

Darian Carpenter walked to lead off the eighth for the Rams and Lamb was inserted to run. Cody Acker's sacrifice bunt moved Lamb to second. Lamb stole third before Luke Bolka struck out pinch hitter Alex Gransback for the second out of the inning.

The deciding throwing error came after Joe Ingle came to the mound in relief of Bolka.

Jimmy Boyd (2-5) yielded the walk to Carpenter in the eighth and absorbed the loss.

ECU tied the visitors twice after VCU forged a pair of one-run leads.

A double by Logan Farrar to start the game led to an RBI single by Vimael Machin for a 1-0 Rams lead.

Walks to Watkins and Garrett Brooks to start the Pirates' half of the second inning preceded a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Mims and a score-tying ground out by Kirk Morgan.

Carpenter singled to start VCU in the fourth and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. Brett Hileman's RBI single gave the Rams a 2-1 lead.

Brooks walked in the bottom of the fourth, took second on a wild pitch and scored to tie the score at 2 on a single down the right field line by Morgan.

The Pirates had five hits with Morgan going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Bryce Harman doubled to right to start ECU in the eighth but he was thrown out at third on a ground ball to short.

David Lucroy started for the Pirates and went three and two-thirds innings. He allowed six of VCU's nine hits and two earned runs with two walks and one strikeout.

Nick Durazo followed with two and one-third innings of work. He allowed two hits and fanned three without a walk. Reid Love pitched the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one.

The Pirates visit UNC-Wilmington (15-6) for a 6 p.m. game Tuesday.

PAGE UPDATED 03/23/15 11:19 PM.

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