GREENVILLE — East Carolina is looking at repeating history to make it out of the regional it is hosting as the No. 1 seed.
In 2009, the Pirates had to beat South Carolina twice in order to advance to the Super Regional round. Devin Harris was the hero in a decisive 10-9 win in 10 innings on Monday, June 1, 2009, at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Gamecocks put ECU in that position again with a 4-2 win on Saturday night into Sunday morning. The Pirates play UNC-Wilmington for the fourth time on Sunday at 2 p.m. with the winner needing two wins over South Carolina in order to move on.
“I love my guys,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin. “We’ll be ready to go at 2. . . . We’ve got to win the first pitch and play our best baseball at 2 o’clock.”
Both teams were involved in a waiting game before the winners’ bracket contest got underway.
![](https://bonesville.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Bryant-Packard-looks-for-the-call-as-he-slides-safely-into-home-to-pull-the-Pirates-within-one-run-in-the-top-of-the-sixth-DSC_0276-Copy-e1528011484209-1000x654.jpg)
The start was delayed as Ohio State and UNC Wilmington went 13 innings in the first matchup on Saturday before the Seahawks walked off with a 4-3 win.
The elimination contest was halted for one hour and 39 minutes in the 12th inning due to weather.
The start time of the ECU-USC game was pushed back to 9 p.m. as another system came through.
South Carolina (35-24) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Danny Blair led off with an infield single. A balk by Alec Burleson allowed Blair to move to second. Madison Stokes walked after Carlos Cortez struck out. Jonah Bride had a two-run double down the left field line. L.T. Tolbert’s RBI single gave the Gamecocks a 3-0 advantage.
The Pirates (44-17) picked up a run in the fourth as Bryant Packard singled and went to third on a hit by Dwanya Williams-Sutton. A sacrifice fly by Spencer Brickhouse brought ECU within 3-1.
Packard went 3-for-4 with two runs.
Packard scored in the sixth as the Pirates closed the gap to 3-2. Packard opened the frame with a single and went to third on a wild pitch as Brickhouse walked. Brickhouse was caught stealing but Packard came home on the play.
![](https://bonesville.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Senior-Davis-Kirkpatrick-reacts-as-he-gets-out-of-a-jam-against-South-Carolina-DSC_0347-Copy-2-e1528011626884-1000x664.jpg)
The Gamecocks added a run in the eighth after Davis Kirkpatrick hit Justin Row to start the inning. Row moved to second on a wild pitch and scored for a 4-2 South Carolina lead on a double to left by Jacob Olson.
“A hard fought game,” Godwin said. “South Carolina did a little more. (Cody) Morris (South Carolina starter) was the difference. He kept us off balance. Fighting back from 3-0 was tough.”
Morris (8-3) went seven and one-third innings. He allowed five hits and two earned runs while walking four and striking out seven.
Godwin planned to start sophomore left-hander Jake Agnos (4-4) against the Seahawks (38-22). UNCW will be the home team according to NCAA regulations.
Leave a Reply