Spring Break
Pirates ride Brandt to shutout win over Wolfpack
Michael Perry
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Sports
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In Wednesday's rivalry matchup against the Wolfpack, nearly 5,000 fans were on hand to witness a solid performance by freshman pitcher Kevin Brandt.
The Pirates' (27-10) pitching staff made pups out of the Pack, allowing four hits with eight strikeouts.
"It was a complete effort," said head coach Billy Godwin. "Probably as good of an effort as we've had all year, in all phases of the game."
Brandt pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out four batters and lasting 102 pitches, the longest outing by the young southpaw.
"Locate the ball and throw strikes is all I was trying to do," Brandt said of his performance.
Halfway through the grudge match, ECU got on the ball with a fourth inning, two-out solo shot from Trent Whitehead, his third of the season and third against N.C. State in two meetings.
"It's a big game," said Whitehead. "Everybody gets excited and my adrenaline gets running."
In the fifth, the Pirates tightened down the vice as they scored four runs on five hits.
Drew Schieber scored Henderson and Harris on a rope to left center for a two-run double and Dustin Harrington, who went 3-for-4, punched one through a hole at short to score Schieber. Jared Avchen continued the RBI streak, bringing home Harrington who barely beat the tag at home to put the Pirates up 7-0.
The Pirates popped the top on the "backyard brawl" with a two-run second inning.
Schieber started things off with a leadoff standup double to right center field. Then, Harrington singled to the outer edge of the infield to advance Schieber to third.
Avchen stepped up to the dish with men on the corners and sent one to right-center field for a sacrifice fly as Schieber tagged up and scored from third.
With one out, Wood brought home Harrington with a blooper over short as ECU scored two.
On Tuesday night, ECU squared up with non-conference opponent Campbell as it lost 12-8 in eight innings.
The Pirates trailed Campbell for the entire game, with the exception of the bottom of the first, but found themselves in range of the Camels in the eighth inning.
ECU, on the losing side of a five-run deficit in the top of the eighth inning, retired the side on three straight outs. In the bottom of the inning, Kyle Roller blasted a solo shot to dead center field and the Pirates continued the inning with a potential rally.
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