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COLLEGE BASEBALL
2012 Game No. 27
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Pirates survive marathon, grab
sweep
From staff and electronic reports
View the Mobile Alpha version of this report.
East Carolina depended on masterful relief pitching
to shut off UAB's offensive assault, produced a dramatic rally in the bottom
of the ninth to stay alive, then finished off the Blazers with a walk-off
fly ball in the 13th for a 6-5 Conference USA victory on Sunday at Clark-LeClair
Stadium.
UAB had banged out 12 hits and led 5-2 when
sophomore righthander Tanner Merritt took the mound to start the seventh and
hurled 2 2/3 perfect innings to cool off the Blazers (17-12, 2-4 C-USA).
Junior lefthander Jake Harris retired the one batter he faced to finish the
top of the ninth, setting the stage for the Pirates (19-8, 4-2) to mount a
comeback in their half of the inning.
Sophomore outfielder Ben Fultz got the three-run
rally going with a one-out double to left center. After senior catcher Zach
Wright reached on a walk, Fultz and Wright each advanced a base on an
infield single by junior outfielder Bryan Bass.
One out later, a wild pitch by senior righthanded
reliever Ryan Nance sent Fultz home and allowed Wright and Bass to move up
to second and third, respectively. Sophomore pinch-hitter Chase McDonald's
single to right brought Wright and Bass across the plate and sent the game
into extra innings.
Drew Reynolds (2-0) tamed UAB's hitters over the
final four innings. The sophomore righthander, who served double-duty as
designated hitter, picked up the win after shutting out the Blazers on one
hit and one walk until the game was decided.
In the Pirates' half of the fateful 13th inning,
Reynolds led off and took first when he was hit by a pitch. Reynolds then
raced to third on a single through the right side by senior third baseman
Corey Thompson. After junior first baseman John Wooten was intentionally
walked, Fultz launched a sacrifice fly to center field, giving Reynolds time
to score.
UAB chased junior righthander Jharel Cotton, East
Carolina's starter, after roughing him up for six hits and three runs in two
innings. Reliever Andy Smithmyer, a junior righthander, fared little better,
giving up six hits and a pair of runs, one earned, over four innings before
giving way to Merritt, Harris and Reynolds.
Senior righthander Michael Busby delivered a solid
start for the Blazers, limiting the Pirates to two runs on six hits and two
walks over 7 2/3 innings. UAB led 5-2 when Busby was relieved by Nance
(2-1), who took the loss.
East Carolina completed a three-game sweep of the
Blazers with the triumph. After scoring scored nine runs over the final
three innings on Friday to
take down UAB 11-6, the Pirates
routed the Blazers 12-2 on Saturday.
East Carolina will hit the road on Tuesday for a
6:30 p.m. matchup with UNC-Wilmington.
BOX SCORE #27
East
Carolina Pirates 6, UAB Blazers 5 (13 innings)
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ECU SID GAME STORY
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UAB SID GAME STORY
Date: Sunday, April 1, 2012
Venue: Clark-LeClair Stadium, Greenville, NC
Attendance: 2,339
Records: ECU 19-8 (4-2 Conference USA);
UAB 17-12 (2-4).
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