Pirates power up, go Super on Sunday

Staff report
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Two-run homers by Charlie Yorgen, Travis Watkins and Eric Tyler keyed East Carolina's 8-4 win over William & Mary on Sunday, clinching the NCAA regional championship.

The Tribe (31-31) had edged 2015 College World Series champion Virginia 5-4 in an elimination game earlier in the day and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third against ECU (37-21-1).

The Pirates answered with four runs in the bottom of the third after Tyler led off with an infield single. Bryce Harman singled through the right side.

Parker Lamm's one-out double down the left field line tied the score at 2. Yorgen's two-run homer to right gave ECU a 4-2 lead.

Zach Pearson's sacrifice bunt scored Josh Smith as William & Mary closed within 4-3 in the fourth.

The Tribe tied the game in the fifth with consecutive singles by Ryder Miconi, Cullen Large and Charley Gould.

Yorgen reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the fifth and Watkins launched a two-run homer to left with two away to put the Pirates ahead to stay at 6-4.

Garrett Brooks singled up the middle before Tyler's homer to left completed the scoring.

Sam Lanier (2-1) pitched the last five innings for the win. The freshman right-hander allowed one hit and walked one while striking out seven in holding the Colonial Athletic Association tournament champions scoreless.

Tyler went 4-for-4 as ECU outhit William & Mary, 14-10.

Watkins, whose three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday lifted the Pirates to an 8-6 win over Virginia, was named Most Outstanding Player of the regional.

ECU's selections on the all-regional team included Yorgen, Tyler, Brooks and Evan Kruczynski, the winning pitcher in a 9-1 victory over Northeast Conference champion Bryant on Friday.

“Regional champions, that sounds pretty good," said ECU coach and alumnus Cliff Godwin. "We started out this season in the summer of last year. The guys worked their butts off to be tough and this season hasn’t been easy for us. There have been a lot of ups and downs and I felt like it prepared us for this regional. There were so many great teams in this regional. ... Any one of those teams could have won this regional. Our guys played their hearts out. We’re lucky, but our guys earned it.

"I’m so happy for East Carolina University — all these players, all the former players and former coaches at East Carolina. That’s what East Carolina is about. We are a baseball school and we wanted to get it back on the map.”

The Pirates will meet the winner of today's 3 p.m. Lubbock regional game between Dallas Baptist and Texas Tech in a best of three Super Regional for a berth in the College World Series in Omaha.

"East Carolina deserves to go to Omaha," Godwin said. "Will it be this year? I hope so, but we’re going to get there sometime.”

The Pirates are scheduled to return to Clark-LeClair Stadium for a welcome around 1:30 p.m. today.

PAGE UPDATED 06/06/16 04:59 AM.

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