Spring Break
Pirates sweep away Knights in C-USA opening series
Kellen Holtzman
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: Sports
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The Pirate bats remained scorching as they outscored the Knights by a combined 49-7 in the series. ECU took Game 1, 26-1 before winning 13-3 in Game 2 and 10-3 in Sunday's finale.
ECU (16-4, 3-0) has reeled off six straight victories since losing in the second game of the UCLA series over spring break.
Pirate head coach Billy Godwin believes this could be the best offensive team he has had in his four seasons in Greenville.
"I've had some good clubs," he said. "But I haven't quite been a part of anything like this."
On Sunday, flaring tempers aided in igniting ECU's bats after the Pirates fell behind 3-0 after two innings.
ECU earned its first lead of the game when sophomore right fielder Devin Harris knocked his first homer of the season with a solo shot to left, putting the Pirates up for good, 4-3.
"It was a fastball away," said Harris. "I got around it a little bit and hooked it, but I got it up in the air and made solid contact. I knew it was gone right when I hit it."
Harris and his teammates were fueled by Stephen Batts' three-run bomb to tie the game at 3 in the third. After making contact, Batts stood at the plate and admired his crushing hit, then flipped his bat in celebration as he began his home run trot.
The UCF dugout took exception to the display, especially Golden Knights assistant coach Cliff Godwin, who played catcher at ECU from 1997-2001. The coaching staffs exchanged verbal blows before both teams were given warnings by the umpire.
"It's just part of the game," Batts said of the play. "I was just trying to fire our team up."
And fire his team up he did, as the Pirates added 7 more runs, scoring 10 unanswered.
Billy Godwin downplayed the third inning incident after the game.
"Tempers are going to escalate when you're trying to compete," he said. "That's all I really have to say. They have a great team, a great program and a great coaching staff."
ECU used an outstanding relief effort from freshman lefty Kevin Brandt (4-0) to seal the sweep over UCF (7-15, 0-3). Brandt took over for sophomore right-hander Mike Anderson in the third inning and delivered a near spotless performance. The Fuquay-Varina native gave up just one hit in 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing no runs and striking out four.
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