By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Sixteen hours after leaving the mound, Brooke Swann was back on the hill for the East Carolina softball team. The junior was sensational Sunday morning, firing a three-hitter in her team’s 6-0 win over Boston College in the championship game of the Pirate Invitational.
Swann (3-1), who struck out three and walked one, retired the final 10 batters she faced and 15 of the final 16. She went 3-0 in the tournament, allowing three runs on 12 hits while striking out 19 and walking four.
Swann’s defense gave her plenty of support. First baseman Jessica Johnson turned in a nifty double play, second baseman Erin St. Ledger and third baseman Cristen Aona were flawless and left fielder Stacey Andrews made a handful of gems.
The Pirates (9-2) gave Swann plenty of support offensively as well. St. Ledger banged out two hits and drove in three, while Charina Sumner added a two-run triple.
St. Ledger, who hit .500 (8-for-16) in the tournament, slapped an RBI-single in the third to give ECU a 1-0 lead.
The Pirates tacked on four more in the fourth, which helped to chase Boston College starting pitcher Allison Gage. Andrews and Kaui Tom had consecutive singles to get two aboard. Sumner followed by slapping a two-run triple into right. After an out and a walk to Johnson, St. Ledger laced a two-run double into left to make it 5-0.
ECU added an insurance run in the fifth. Vanessa Moreno was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Jillian Gallagher was inserted as a pinch runner. After an out, Andrews singled for the second time to put two aboard. Gallagher later raced home when Sumner reached on Boston College’s third error of the game for a 6-0 advantage.
That was more than enough for Swann.
The Pirates will host the Pirate Clash this weekend. ECU will face Syracuse at 2 p.m. and Purdue at 4 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 10 a.m. game Saturday against Penn State.
Boston College University 000 000 0 – 0 3 3
East Carolina 001 410 x – 6 9 0
WP: Brooke Swann; LP: Allison Gage
Hitters: BC – Carolyn Jones 1-2, Taylor Peyton 1-3, Dani Weir 1-3; ECU – Erin St. Ledger 2-4 (2B, 3 RBIs), Charina Sumner 2-4 (3B, 2 RBIs), Stacey Andrews 2-3, Kaui Tom 1-2, Jessica Johnson 1-3, Christina Merrida 1-4.