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COLLEGE BASEBALL
2012 Game No. 58
Conference USA Championship Tournament
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Pirates regroup for
win, await fate
From staff and electronic reports
View the Mobile Alpha version of this report.
East Carolina combined solid pitching, productive
hitting and efficient defense to end its rocky foray in the Conference USA
Championship tournament on a smoother note with a 10-3 victory over UAB
Saturday afternoon at Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS.
After suffering
an error-tainted loss to Tulane on Wednesday and
an embarrassing "mercy rule" blowout by Central Florida on Friday, the
Pirates salvaged a bit of tourney pride with the impressive win over the
Blazers and propped up their chances of landing a regional invitation when
NCAA postseason bids are announced on Monday.
ECU jumped on UAB starter Ruben Tresgallo for two
runs in the 1st inning and never trailed thanks to solid pitching
performances from freshman righthander Jeff Hoffman and junior righthander
Andy Smithmyer.
The Blazers countered with a score in the bottom of
the 1st, but the Pirates struck back when sophomore first baseman Chase
McDonald belted a homer to left center in the 2nd for a 3-1 lead.
UAB leveraged a walk and three singles into the
tying runs in the 6th but was unable to mount another offensive threat as
Hoffman retired the side in order in the 7th and Smithmyer parceled out lone
singles in each of the final two frames.
ECU claimed the lead for good in the 8th when
senior third baseman Corey Thompson led off with a single, took second on a
balk, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder/first baseman
John Wooten and scored on a wild pitch.
The Pirates put an exclamation point on the triumph
with a six-run explosion in the 9th. ECU banged out six hits during the
outburst, including a two-run double by Wooten, and benefited from a walk
and an error. All of the runs were scored with two outs.
Hoffman (3-1) got the win after logging
seven innings, surrendering three runs on six hits and three
walks. Smithmyer picked up his first save of the season by
keeping the Blazers at bay over the final two frames.
Thompson, Wooten and senior catcher Zach Wright
each had three hits for the Pirates. Thompson scored three runs, and he and
Wright recorded two RBIs apiece.
After experiencing breakdowns in various phases of
the game in the losses to Tulane and UCF, the Pirates finally clicked in
their tourney finale, getting steady pitching from start to finish, playing
error-free ball and outhitting the Blazers 15-8.
For No. 7 seed UAB, the tournament is not over.
Thanks to upset wins over No. 2 UCF on Thursday and 3rd-seed Tulane on
Friday, the Blazers (31-28) will meet 5th-seed Memphis (31-27) on Sunday (2
p.m., CBS Sports Network) for the C-USA championship and the league's
automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
The Tigers reached the title game by knocking off
No. 4 Southern Miss on Wednesday and top-seed Rice on Thursday before
absorbing an inconsequential loss to 8th-seed Houston on Friday.
A win will be a coveted prize for either team as
neither UAB nor Memphis has the RPI credentials to receive serious
consideration for an at-large NCAA postseason invitation.
Meanwhile, the Pirates (35-22-1) will make the trek
back to Greenville and bide their time, hoping to hear their school's name
called when the NCAA Division I Tournament brackets are announced at noon
Monday on ESPNU and ESPN3.
BOX SCORE #58
East Carolina 10,
Alabama-Birmingham 3
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ECU SID GAME STORY
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UAB SID GAME STORY
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C-USA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE & SCOREBOARD
Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Event: Conference USA Championship Tournament
Venue: Trustmark Park, Pearl, MS
Attendance: 2,608
Records: ECU 35-22-1; UAB 31-28.
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