ECU tops Cincinnati, 7-3

By Al Myatt
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

CINCINNATI — East Carolina opened its American Athletic Conference series at Cincinnati with a 7-3 win on Thursday night.

Reid Love (7-3) pitched seven innings as a three-run fifth inning put the Pirates (34-20, 13-9 AAC) ahead to stay.

ECU remained one game behind Houston (37-17, 14-8), which defeated visiting Connecticut 5-4 in 10 innings, in the AAC standings.

Third-place Memphis (35-17, 12-10) topped Tulane, 7-3.

Bryce Harman tripled to start the fifth inning for the Pirates and came home for a 2-1 lead as Travis Watkins followed with a single down the left field line. Garrett Brooks had an RBI double to boost the margin to 3-1. Charlie Yorgen was hit by a pitch and Love singled. Yorgen scored an unearned run on a fielding error.

Brooks homered to right to lead off the seventh for a 5-1 ECU advantage. Eric Tyler started the eighth with a homer. Watkins singled before walks to Brooks and Allen loaded the bases. Yorgen got aboard on a fielder's choice RBI that pushed the lead to 7-1.

Ian Happ's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth pulled the Bearcats (15-37, 6-16) within 7-3.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second as Kirk Morgan walked with one out and Tyler singled to move him to third. ECU got the early lead on an infield single by Watkins. The hosts pulled even in the third as Manny Rodriguez doubled and scored on a single by Treg Haberkorn.

Love allowed 11 hits and three earned runs while striking out six without a walk. Jimmy Boyd and Joe Ingle each tossed an inning of relief.

Watkins had three hits and two RBIs. Brooks finished with two hits and two RBIs. Tyler had two hits and an RBI.

The three-game series continues with a 6 p.m. contest tonight.

PAGE UPDATED 05/15/15 11:56 PM.

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