By Staff
ECU Sports Information
CHAPEL HILL — Head coach Tracey Kee picked up her 500th career win on Saturday as the East Carolina softball team took a pair of contests at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill. The Pirates (3-1) took out preseason Mid-American Conference favorite Kent State 2-1 in Saturday's first game before returning to defeat George Washington 6-1 in the final contest of the day.
ECU looked as if it would take the early lead in the first when Charina Sumner led off the game with a double and Christina Merrida singled in the infield. However, with one out, Cristen Aona struck out and Erin St. Ledger grounded out to third to end the threat.
After Pirate hurler Toni Paisley kept Kent State off the board through the first two innings, East Carolina struck for its first run in the top of the third. Stacey Andrews was hit by a pitch to start the inning then proceeded to steal second. Sumner then recorded her second double of the game, scoring Andrews to push the Pirates on top 1-0.
ECU added another run in the sixth. With one out, Aona doubled to extend her season-opening hitting streak to three games. Sarah Bibee was then summoned to pinch run for Aona and scored on a two-out single by Vanessa Moreno.
The Golden Flashes drew within a run in their half of the sixth as Kim Hamilton took Paisley's offering over the left center field fence to lead off the half-inning. The Pirates were then set down in order in the top of the seventh, setting up a dramatic ending to the contest.
Ashlee Hein reached first on a leadoff walk then advanced to second on a single by pinch hitter Lauren Brocklehurst. With runners at second and third with two outs, Hamilton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, Kaui Tom was able to snag a ball off the bat of Jessica Carmichael and step on second to end the contest.
Paisley threw her second complete game in as many days and improved her record to 1-1. She scattered five hits while giving up the lone earned run. The sophomore now has 231 strikeouts, moving her into seventh on the East Carolina career chart. Paisley needs just 17 to catch Nicole Bacon for sixth.
The Colonials jumped on top in the top of the third inning in the late game. With one out, Amanda Gabriel sent a 1-1 offering over the left center field wall, giving George Washington the 1-0 advantage. However, ECU would strike back in its half of the third.
On a 0-1 pitch, Sumner left no doubt as to where the ball was headed as it easily cleared the wall in right center, knotting the score at one. Christina Merrida then drew a walk before Jessica Johnson smashed her first home run of the year, scoring Merrida and providing the Pirates with a 3-1 lead. East Carolina was not done as St. Ledger hit her second single of the contest. Moreno then ripped the Pirates' third long ball of the inning, pushing the advantage to 5-1. ECU added one more run to close out the scoring in the sixth when Sissy Jimenez scored after producing a one-out double.
Brooke Swann picked up her first victory of the season to move to 1-0 as well as throwing her first complete game since Feb 23, 2007. She allowed eight George Washington hits while giving up just one earned run. Swann struck out nine, just one shy of her career-high. St. Ledger was a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest.
The Pirates wrap up play in the Carolina Classic today as the No. 2 seed. They will face No. 3 seed Kent State at 10 a.m. for the right to move into the championship contest versus North Carolina.
ECU basketball team falls to Marshall
By The Associated Press
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Tyler Wilkerson scored a career-high 25 points to lead Marshall to an 83-49 win over East Carolina on Saturday.
Markel Humphrey added 15 points for Marshall (12-10, 4-5 Conference USA). Tirrell Baines scored 14 and Mark Dorris added 10 points.
Wilkerson had 19 first-half points on 9-of-10 shooting to give Marshall a 36-25 lead at halftime, and the Pirates got no closer in the second half.
Marshall's lead grew to as many as 36 points on the strength of 54 percent shooting in the second half.
No players for East Carolina (8-13, 2-6) scored in double figures. Leading scorer Sam Hinnant, who had 24 points in the first meeting this season between the teams, was held to six points.
The Pirates were outrebounded 42-24.
ECU returns to action Wednesday at home against Tulsa.
MARSHALL 83, EAST CAROLINA 49
EAST CAROLINA (8-13)
Fields 1-1 1-2 3, Blair 2-4 0-2 4, Farmer 3-6 0-0 9, Hinnant 2-4 0-0 6, Jenkins 3-10 1-2 8, Legan 2-5 1-1 6, Young 1-5 4-6 6, Gagnon 0-2 0-0 0, Abrams 1-2 1-2 3, Sherrod 0-2 0-0 0, Evans 1-1 0-0 2, Joyner 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 17-44 8-17 49.
MARSHALL (12-10)
Humphrey 4-7 5-9 15, Baines 5-9 4-4 14, Wilkerson 12-13 1-3 25, Altidor-Cespedes 3-4 0-0 8, Dorris 4-14 1-2 10, Walls 1-7 0-0 2, Jackson 4-6 0-0 8, Williams 0-1 1-4 1, Senior 0-1 0-0 0, Oglesby 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-63 12-22 83.
Halftime—Marshall 36-25. 3-Point Goals—East Carolina 7-14 (Farmer 3-3, Hinnant 2-3, Jenkins 1-3, Legan 1-4, Abrams 0-1), Marshall 5-14 (Altidor-Cespedes 2-2, Humphrey 2-3, Dorris 1-5, Walls 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—East Carolina 24 (Fields 4), Marshall 42 (Wilkerson 7). Assists—East Carolina 9 (Jenkins 4), Marshall 21 (Altidor-Cespedes, Dorris 5). Total Fouls—East Carolina 20, Marshall 18. A—5,106. A—5,106.