UConn, Pirates split doubleheader

Staff report
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Post-game audio: Cliff Godwin & Eric Tyler...

GREENVILLE — East Carolina split its American Athletic Conference doubleheader with Connecticut at Clark-LeClair Stadium as the Pirates took a 2-1 win in the first game before the Huskies prevailed 5-1 in the nightcap.

Parker Lamm singled in the third and scored on a double by Eric Tyler as ECU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the second game.

Pirates right-hander Jimmy Boyd held the Huskies scoreless until the seventh when John Toppa had an RBI double and two runs scored on wild pitches for a 3-1 UConn lead.

Aaron Hill and Willy Yahn had RBIs as the Huskies increased the lead to 5-1 in the top of the ninth.

The Huskies outhit the Pirates 10-5 in the second game.

"We didn't swing the bats well," said ECU coach Cliff Godwin. "We've got to have more quality at-bats Sunday."

The deciding game in the series is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. today.

Left-hander Tim Cate (2-1) got the win for the Huskies. He went seven innings and allowed five hits. He walked one and struck out 11.

"He was spotting up his fast ball and working off of that," said Eric Tyler of the Pirates.

Patrick Ruotolo pitched the last two innings for UConn and picked up his fourth save.

Boyd (5-3) went six and two-thirds innings for the Pirates, allowing six hits and three earned runs. He walked two and fanned four.

Denny Brady yielded the two UConn runs in the ninth.

Matt Bridges, Sam Lanier and Chris Holba turned in short but scoreless relief stints for ECU.

Yahn went 3-for-5 in the second game to lead the Huskies.

The Pirates scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the first game as UConn reliever Randy Polonia experienced control problems.

Kiek Morgan was hit by a pitch to start the frame for the Pirates. Brady Lloyd came in to pinch run and Turner Brown put down a sacrifice bunt to move Lloyd to second.

The Huskies intentionally walked Garrett Brooks to set up a force but two-out walks to Jeff Nelson and Tyler brought in the decisive run.

ECU had taken a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Dwanya Williams-Sutton drew a walk with two away and Brown followed with an RBI double to right center.

Joe Ingle (5-3) pitched two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief after a strong start by Evan Kruczynski. Ingle allowed one hit and had two strikeouts without a walk.

Kruczynski yielded five hits over seven and one-third innings. The Huskies managed an unearned run in the eighth that was charged to the junior lefty, who struck out six and walked two. Kruczynski hit one batter.

UConn outhit the Pirates 6-3 in the opener and ECU committed two errors while the Huskies were errorless.

Jack Sundberg was 2-for-5 for UConn in game one. Sundberg singled up the middle with one out in the eighth. He went to third as Yahn got aboard on an error.

Sundberg scored on a single through the right side by Bobby Melley, the last batter Kruczynski faced.

The split left the Pirates at 25-14 overall and 6-5 in the AAC. UConn is 21-17 on the season and 6-4 in the league.

PAGE UPDATED 04/24/16 08:48 PM.

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