Walker closed out the Pirates to earn his second win and send the game to extra innings. |
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Niners Score Four in 10th to Defeat ECU
March 25, 2005
Greenville, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers scored four runs in the top of the tenth to earn their first Conference USA win of the season, downing East Carolina 6-2 in front of 3,005 fans at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Friday night.
Due to impending inclement weather, these two teams will play a split doubleheader on Saturday. The first game will start at 2:00. The second game will start at 6:00, regardless of the length of the first game.
The 49ers (14-8, 1-3 C-USA) erased a 2-1 deficit in the top of the eighth to put themselves in position to break a five-game losing streak. With one out, Adam Willard fouled off five balls before drawing a full-count walk. That brought up Kris Rochelle, who walked on four straight pitches. Sophomore Spencer Steedley then singled over the shortstop's head to score Willard from second. However the Pirates got out of the inning with two consecutive strikeouts, both looking.
East Carolina (13-8, 0-4 C-USA) had a chance in the eighth against reliever Keith Moreland. After a groundout to lead off, the second batter walked. A fly out to left put Brian Cavanaugh up with two outs, and he doubled through the left side to put two on. Closer Erik Walker came in, and induced a flyout to right to leave both runners stranded.
The Niners went in order in the top of the ninth. In the bottom half, Walker hit the leadoff batter, who was sacrificed to second. After a walk and a strikeout, the Pirates loaded the bases when Drew Costanzo became the second batter to get hit by a pitch in the inning. Walker settled down to get Jake Smith to fly out to center and send the game to extra innings.
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In the tenth, O'Brien Taylor drew a leadoff walk to bring up Willard. He was hit by the third pitch to put two men on. A walk to Rochelle loaded the bases with no outs for Steedley, who hit a sacrifice fly into center to score Taylor.
After Mike Ambrose was intentionally walked to load the bases, East Carolina brought in Kevin Rhodes to pitch to Chris Lane, the team's seventh hitter. He grounded out to the shortstop, but Ambrose was running hard from first and ECU could not turn the double play.
The Niners took advantage of the extra opportunity. Eighth hitter Alex Bryant, who had been 0-for-3 in the game, doubled down the left field line, driving in two to give the Niners a four-run cushion.
Walker closed out the Pirates in the bottom of the tenth to earn his second win of the season. He forced two flyouts sandwiched around a single, and struck out the final batter of the night.
The game was a pitcher's dual through throughout. Adam Mills, the 49er starter, pitched 6.1 innings but got a no decision. He allowed two runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out four. ECU's P.J. Connelly pitched 6.2 innings, allowing just five hits and one unearned run, striking out six.
Charlotte defeated their in-state rivals for only the third time in 18 games. This is the final regular-season series between the schools as Conference USA foes.
Charlotte scored one in the top of the second. Spencer Steedley singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third, and scored on an errant throw by the ECU catcher.
In the bottom half of the second, East Carolina loaded the bases on three straight singles, including two bunts that were not fielded in time to nab the runners. The inning's fourth hitter, Billy Richardson, singled through the left side to plate the Pirates' first run.
With bases loaded again, Harrison Eldridge hit back to the pitcher to kick-start a 1-2-3 double play. Then, third baseman Mark Minicozzi hit the ball to deep center field, and Chris Lane made a nice over-the-shoulder catch running full speed toward the wall as the Niners got out of the inning with minimal damage.
The Pirates broke through in the seventh to take the 2-1 lead. Billy Richardson led off the inning with a single. After a strike out looking, Minicozzi singled into shallow right field to drive in a run and prompt a Charlotte pitching change. The team brought in Moreland, and the freshman induced a 6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
