By Staff
From ECU Sports Information
GREENSBORO -- Scott Greene (1-0) scattered three hits over six innings and allowed one run to earn his first victory of the season as East Carolina defeated North Carolina A&T, 8-6, at War Memorial Stadium this afternoon.
The Pirates opened the scoring in the top of the first, plating a pair of runs. A&T starter Brian Witt hit two of the first three batters he faced and yielded a single to the other, which loaded the bases for the Pirates. Mark Minicozzi then lifted a sacrifice fly that was dropped by the right fielder and allowed Jamie Paige and Ryan Jones to score.
Witt (0-4) tossed five complete innings and allowed six runs on five hits with three walks and three hit batters.
Two base on balls another Aggie error set up a three-run Pirate second inning. After Mike DeJesus was issued a lead-off walk, Paige's sacrifice bunt attempt was mishandled and throw away by third baseman Erik Jones and allowed Minicozzi to score all the way from first base, and Paige to advance to third base. Jones then drew a walk, which was followed by a Jason Tourangeau two RBI single one out later.
East Carolina (11-5-1) also added a single run in the fourth and sixth inning. Darryl Lawhorn drove in Paige with a sacrifice fly in fourth, while Jon Henry Kail scored on a throwing error in the sixth to give the Pirates a 7-1 advantage.
A&T (2-17) scored three runs on no hits in the bottom of seventh inning to make it a 7-4 ballgame. ECU pitchers issued four walks and hit two batters to walk in a trio of runs.
Freshman Jason Neitz came on to stop the bleeding in the seventh and worked the final 2.1 innings to record his first career save.
Lawhorn drove in his second run of the game in eighth hitting a single back up the middle to plate Kail, who doubled for the second time in the game during the frame.
Kail and Jones finished the day with two hits and two runs each, while Paige crossed the plate three times. Jones hit a pair of solo home runs for the Aggies, his fifth and sixth of the season.
The Pirates return to action Friday as they open Conference USA play at Houston.