View from the East Saturday, June 2, 2012 By Al Myatt

STAR OF THE GAME

Joyner answers the call

By Al Myatt
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

CHAPEL HILL — East Carolina had to make a call to the bullpen on Saturday in a must-win game with Ivy League champion Cornell. Senior left-hander Kevin Brandt was struggling uncharacteristically against the Big Red and the Pirates turned to Tyler Joyner, a junior southpaw.

Joyner is normally a weekend starter for ECU but he became middle relief, set up man and closer at Boshamer Stadium in the Pirates' second game in the regionals.

Over the last four and two-thirds innings, Joyner allowed just one hit and held Cornell scoreless. With the entire batting order getting at least one hit, the 2012 Pirates lived to play another day with a 10-6 victory.

Joyner hails from Northern Nash, the high school alma mater of ECU coach Billy Godwin.

"Tyler certainly came in and threw well," Godwin said.

Brandt yielded four runs in the bottom of the fourth as Cornell went ahead 4-2.

The Pirates regained the lead with a five-spot in the fifth but the Big Red continued its attack in the bottom of the frame.

"Everyone seemed to be seeing the ball well against Brandt," said Cornell's Brandon Lee, who had three hits with a double off the ECU starter. "I think we saw a lot of fast balls the first time through. The second time he was going more with his offspeed stuff."

Brandt started a 1-6-3 double play to stop Cornell (31-17-1) in the first inning. He picked off Frank Hager after a one out single in the second but he ran into trouble in the fourth after retiring the side on three ground balls in the third.

Brandt plunked Chris Cruz after a leadoff single by Brian Billigen and threw wide to first after a bunt by Hager. Brandt tossed to catcher Zach Wright covering home for a bases-loaded force out to get out of the fourth.

After three Cornell hits and a walk in the fifth had brought the Big Red within 7-5, Godwin turned to Joyner. After hitting a batter with the bases loaded to bring in a run, Joyner escaped further trouble with a fly to left and the first of his three strikeouts. Joyner set down eight in a row before Ben Swinford got the Big Red's lone hit off him in the eighth.

Joyner answered the bullpen call and allowed the Pirates to conserve the rest of the pitching staff.

"The coaches prepare us for that all the time," Joyner said. "You have to stay focused and do the job."

Lee said Joyner threw a sharp breaking ball.

"His fast ball had late life," added the Cornell catcher. "He did a good job coming in and forcing contact. The defense did a good job behind him."

ECU (36-23-1) got productive results — 15 hits — from shuffling its lineup after an 11-3 loss to St. John's on Friday.

"It spreads like wild fire," Godwin said of ECU's revived offense after six Pirates (Drew Reynolds, John Wooten, Jay Cannon, Wright, Chase McDonald and Jack Reinheimer) each got a pair of hits.

"You get confident and you start believing," said the ECU coach.

ECU plays North Carolina at 1 p.m. today. The winner will face St. John's, which is unbeaten in regional play, at 6 p.m. The season ends for this afternoon's loser in the double-elimination event.

St. John's stunned the host Tar Heels on Saturday night with a three-run walkoff homer by Danny Bethea in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Godwin did not name a starter for today's 1 p.m. game immediately after the win over the Big Red.

"We'll go with the best available person," he said, adding that Jharel Cotton, Andy Smithmyer and Drew Reynolds were among those who were in the pitching picture. "We're still in good shape."

The Pirates go into today three wins away from getting to a Super Regional.

"We've got to have a similar mindset," Godwin said of the approach that led to survival on Saturday. "Our backs are to the wall. We've got to relax and play one pitch at a time."

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PAGE UPDATED 06/03/12 03:16 AM.