|
Audio: Brian Bailey
Show |
|
 |
|
 The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guest this week was
Atlantic Coast
Conference
basketball official
Raymond Styons
(right):
Replay
show... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BASEBALL |
|
Big inning lifts
Memphis |
|
 GREENVILLE
— The speed of
Memphis center
fielder Darien Tubbs
was a difference
maker in an American
Athletic Conference
series at East
Carolina.
Tubbs
tracked
down a
drive by
Garrett
Brooks
for what
ECU
coach
Cliff
Godwin
called a
SportsCenter
Top 10
play to
keep the
tying
run from
scoring
in the
bottom
of the
ninth in
a 3-2
Tigers
win on
Saturday.
On
Sunday,
Tubbs
had a
three-run
inside
the park
homer in
the
seventh
as
Memphis
took its
second
win over
the
Pirates
...
Story &
picture... |
|
|
|
Pictured:
Senior Hunter Allen
lays down an RBI
sacrifice bunt
against Memphis on
Sunday. (Photo
by W.A. Myatt) |
|
Next: ECU vs. Tulane
| Thursday, 6:30 pm |
|
|
|
|
|
BASEBALL |
|
ECU wins AAC opener,
splits DH |
|
 GREENVILLE
— East Carolina won
its first-ever
American Athletic
Conference game 4-1
over Memphis in the
first game of a
doubleheader on
Saturday at Clark-LeClair
Stadium. The Tigers
managed a split with
a 3-2 win in the
second game.
Evan
Kruczynski
pitched
a
complete
game in
the
opener
and Reid
Love
went
4-for-4
at the
plate
with a
2-run
homer
...
Story &
pictures... |
|
|
|
Pictured:
Centerfielder
Garrett Brooks takes
a lead at third as
coach Cliff Godwin
looks on during the
7th inning of ECU's
Saturday
doubleheader with
Memphis. The junior
went on to score on
a wild pitch to tie
the game. (Photo
by W.A. Myatt) |
|
|
|
|
|
FOOTBALL / BASKETBALL / BASEBALL |
|
Lebo eyes the path to the future |
|
 East
Carolina is sitting out the NCAA Tournament
this year. No surprise there. The Pirates
and the big dance have been incongruous
terms but as the future unfolds for ECU
basketball improvement is the intent. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
|
|
|
|
|
BASEBALL |
|
High Point downs Pirates |
|
GREENVILLE — High Point scored five runs in
the second inning and went on to a 13-2 win
at East Carolina on Wednesday night. The
Panthers (12-11) led 13-0 before ECU (16-10)
tallied twice in the bottom of the eighth.
Spencer Angelis went 3-for-5 as High Point
outhit the hosts, 14-7. ...
More... |
|
Next: ECU vs.
Memphis | Friday, 6:30 pm |
|
|
|
|
|
FOOTBALL RECRUITING |
|
Recruiting wars: Quarterbacks |
|
 The
search by East Carolina's
coaching staff to find the
next Shane Carden is in full
swing. But as spring
practice unfolds in
Greenville, the question
facing the Pirates is
whether the next Carden is
already in the program or
currently being recruited.
...
More from Sammy Batten... |
|
|
|
|
|
BASEBALL |
|
Gaffney lifts UNCW |
|
WILMINGTON — Chris
Gaffney's three-run
homer in the second
inning was the big
blow as UNC-Wilmington
topped East Carolina
4-2 at Brooks Field
on Tuesday night.
The blast to center
field was the first
round tripper of the
season for the
Seahawks catcher,
who was batting
seventh in the
order. ...
More... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
Brian Bailey
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
VIEW MOBILE VERSION OF THIS PAGE
East Carolina football fans can only hope that the results end up being
similar.
Kurt Benkert threw an interception for a touchdown on his first pass of
the spring. He bounced back nicely, going 13-17 with a touchdown pass to
Isaiah Jones in his first real action as the Pirates' starting
quarterback.
Shane Carden’s first pass in a game had the same result. That jogged
head coach Ruffin McNeill’s memory.
“I thought it was big today,” said McNeill when asked about the
interception afterwards. “Just like Shane’s first play in college was an
interception against South Carolina. Same thing happened today. We got
some good guys over there. (Benkert) came back the next play and he made
a play when he got back in there. Made his turn and made a touchdown
pass to Isaiah. He is going to be fine.”
Life as a starting quarterback is much different than that as a backup.
While it’s certainly not written in stone, all indications are that Kurt
Benkert will be Shane Carden’s replacement. He’s getting the most reps
and appears to be the guy ready to take the next step.
For the Pirate sophomore, it’s a whole new ballgame.
“It’s just fun,” said Benkert. “A little more live, a little more
everything, it’s just good to have everyone out here, going hard.”
Benkert wasn’t pleased with his mistakes, but he seemed bound and
determined to learn from them.
“I know I can do better,” he explained. “I need to eliminate turnovers.
It was fun, I had a good time. It’s big to show that not one play is
going to hold you down. You can have a lot of bad plays in the game, but
you can still win a game. So you have to turn it around quick for the
next play. It’s getting there. It’s a little different than just playing
second team all the time. It’s slowing down; it’s getting to what I want
it to be.”
Story
continues after the following picture...
 |
| Then-backup QB Kurt
Benkert finds the end zone after a tough 9-yard scamper last season against N.C. Central. (Photo by W.A. Myatt) |
One of the big keys to Benkert’s success is earning the respect of his
teammates, especially those with plenty of game experience and those who
benefitted so much from Shane Carden’s talent getting them the football.
"Benkert's awesome,” said ECU receiver Isaiah Jones. “He's doing well.
I'm really impressed with him, you know. A lot has been placed on him
and other quarterbacks as well, and I think he's stepping up to the
challenge now.”
Jones continued with his assessment of the Pirates' outlook at
quarterback.
“You know, I wouldn't say [Benkert is] where he needs to be because
there's so much more potential with him and some of the other guys. But
I’ve been really impressed with all of the quarterbacks.”
I had a chance to see about half of Saturday’s scrimmage, and it’s
really difficult for the average guy to evaluate the play. The Pirates
seem to run the football well, and the defense made a couple of big
plays. Still, it’s just a scrimmage and a very early one at that.
Perhaps Coach Ruff said it best.
“We don’t play next week,” said McNeill. “We play in September sometime,
late August, but I like the start and where we are.”
BB
