ECU's nemesis strikes again
Staff report
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CLEARWATER, FL — South
Florida continued its role as American Athletic Conference nemesis for
East Carolina on Wednesday with a 4-2 win over the Pirates in ECU's
league tournament opener.
The Bulls (24-31)
took two of three from the Pirates (34-20-1) in a
regular-season series in Greenville in mid-May.
USF took advantage of five
walks in the top of the ninth inning to score two runs for a 4-2 lead.
ECU had two baserunners
with two out in the bottom of the ninth as Parker Lamm singled and
Charlie Yorgen walked before a strikeout ended the game.
USF, seeded seventh for the
tournament, struck first with two runs in the top of the seventh. David
Villar started the inning with a double off ECU starter Evan Kruczynski.
Cameron Montgomery followed with a single that moved Villar to third.
Duke Stunkel's sacrifice fly to center brought in Villar. Kevin
Merrell's single up the middle scored Montgomery for a 2-0 USF lead.
ECU, the No. 2 seed,
answered in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs. Eric Tyler
had a one-out double before Garrett Brooks walked with two away. A wild
pitch moved the runners to second and third before Kirk Morgan's two-run
double tied the score.
USF used its three starting
pitchers from the series in Greenville. Brandon Lawson went seven
innings. Joe Cavallaro (6-3) pitched the eighth and Phoenix Sanders
pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
Matt Bridges (2-1) took the
loss for ECU, walking Stunkel, who later scored on a base-loaded walk to
Luke Maglich by Joe Ingle for the go-ahead run in the ninth.
Yorgen and Brooks each had
two hits for the Pirates, who loaded the bases with one out in the
eighth but didn't score.
ECU faces Memphis, a 6-2
loser to Connecticut on Wednesday, in an elimination game at 11 a.m.
today.
PAGE UPDATED
05/26/16 02:13 PM.
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