East Carolinian

Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jessi Braxton

Media Credit: jessi Braxton

ECU baseball continued its winning ways on the road this past weekend by winning the series with C-USA rival Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The Pirates and Golden Eagles each came into the weekend nationally ranked, with ECU at No. 24 and Southern Miss at No. 20. After the weekend, Southern Miss fell behind ECU in the rankings at No. 29 with ECU checking in at No. 28.

After the two teams split Saturday's doubleheader, the Pirates came out strong in Sunday's rubber match, led by junior pitcher Justin Bristow.

Bristow worked eight innings, allowing three runs with seven strikeouts, while freshman Trent Whitehead drove in four runs as ECU took the rubber match against Southern Miss, 11-3, at Pete Taylor Park Sunday afternoon.

Bristow improved to 5-1 on the season for the Pirates (21-9, 5-4) where he allowed 11 hits on the day. Seth Simmons worked the ninth allowing one hit with one strikeout to seal the win for ECU.

Southern Miss (20-10, 5-4) starter David Clark allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in four innings of work before being relieved by Jonathan Johnston in the fourth frame. Johnston worked 1.2 innings allowing three runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout. Houston Brown closed out the game going 3.1 innings allowing just two hits with three strikeouts.

Offensively the Pirates pounded out 14 hits with five players collecting multiple hits on the afternoon with Harrison Eldridge and Kyle Roller each recording three base knocks, while Stephen Batts, Corey Kemp and Whitehead each had two hits.

ECU jumped all over Clark in the first inning and took an early 5-0 lead on five hits. Harrison Eldridge led off the game with a single to center which was followed by a Ryan Wood single to left and a Stephen Batts single to center field to load the bases for Corey Kemp, who drove in the first run when he reached on a fielder's choice. Kyle Roller roped a 2 RBI single through the right side and with one out Trent Whitehead blooped a single to left plating Kemp and Roller to cap the scoring.

After Southern Miss pushed a pair of runs across in the second to cut into the Pirates lead to 5-2, Whitehead delivered once again for the Pirates.

The true freshman from Washington, NC pushed the Pirates lead back to five, 7-2, with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field. With one out in the third, Roller singled to right field and after stealing his third base of the season, trotted home on Whitehead's homer.

The scoring slowed down after the two teams exploded offensively during the first couple of innings. ECU added one run in the fifth and three more in the sixth, while the Golden Eagles plated their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth.

The series started Saturday afternoon in unusual fashion, as Southern Miss beat ECU, 6-5, but needed 13 innings to do so.

A bases loaded wild pitch in the bottom of the 13th scored Keith Winstead to give the Golden Eagles the victory.

With the game tied at five in the bottom of the 13th, Southern Miss' Winstead reached on a throwing error advancing to scoring position with Carson at the plate. Carson laid down a perfect bunt between the pitcher's mound and third base for a single and moving Winstead over to third. Adam Doleac received a free pass to load the bases for Josh Fields, who struck out swinging, but Winstead was able to come home on a Brett Butts wild pitch for the game-winning run.

ECU took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the 12th frame and was two outs away from taking a 1-0 lead in the series before Southern Miss scored three unanswered runs in the 12th.

Drew Carson reached on a throwing error, one of six on the afternoon for the Pirates, and advanced to second starting the rally. Adam Doleac singled to left-center pushing Carson to third. After Anthony Doss reached on a fielder's choice, Bo Davis drew a one-out walk to load the bases for James Ewing, who roped a single to right-center plating Carson and Doss and pulling the Golden Eagles within one, 5-4.

Brian Dozier, who stepped up to bat with one-out and runners on first and third, hit a grounder to Broc Sutton who flipped it over to Ryan Wood at short for what should have been a routine double play. But, Wood was unable to successfully transfer the ball from his glove to his throwing hand and was charged with his fifth error of the game, scoring the game-tying run in Davis.

JR Ballinger (2-0) picked up the win after working two innings, where he gave up two runs (unearned) on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Starter Todd McInnis went seven innings, scattering six hits, surrendering two runs (one earned) with two walks and eight punch outs.

Brett Butts suffered the loss for the Pirates and fell to 1-1 on the year. He worked one inning giving up one run (unearned) on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.

ECU starterT.J. Hose fanned a season-high seven batters in 5.1 innings allowing one run (earned) on four hits with three walks before giving way to Josh Ruhlman in the sixth.

The Pirates quickly rebounded in the nightcap of the doubleheader however, winning 4-2 to even the series.

Freshman Seth Maness worked a career-high 8.1 innings, allowed two runs and fanned seven batters with no walks in the victory.

Maness (6-0) became the second ECU freshman to start a season 6-0 after holding the Southern Miss to just two runs (both earned) on 11 hits and lowered his ERA to 2.91. Maness retired 10 of the first 11 batters and 14 of the first 18 he faced with four punch outs. Josh Ruhlman made his 16th appearance of the season working the final two-thirds of the ninth inning and recorded the Pirates first save of the season and the first of his career. Ruhlman allowed one hit and fanned two.

Southern Miss starter Barry Bowden dropped to 5-2 on the year and lasted just two innings before leaving the game with an apparent shoulder injury. He gave three runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Brian Leach replaced Bowden in the third and had the best outing of his career, throwing 6.1 innings scattering three this and allowing only one run. Jonathan Johnston worked the final two-thirds of the game with one punch out.

ECU wasted little time in getting on the board as it took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Harrison Eldridge, who collected four hits on the day, doubled to left-center on the games first pitch and moved to third on a wild pitch. Ryan Wood drove home Eldridge with an infield single. Stephen Batts followed with a double down the left field line putting runners at second and third with no outs. After Corey Kemp struck out, Brandon Henderson reached on a fielding error which plated Wood. Dustin Harrington capped the scoring in the first frame with a sac bunt.

The Golden Eagles drew within one, 3-2, in the eighth on Keith Winstead's sac fly to right field that scored Dozier, who lead off the frame with a single to right. Corey Stevens advanced Dozier to third on his single setting up the lone run of the inning.

The series win puts the Pirates above .500 in conference play, surpassing Southern Miss, among others.

The Pirates will be back in action on Tuesday, April 8 when they play host to ODU at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU's next conference series is scheduled for this weekend, when it hosts Marshall for a three-game series.

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