By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — East Carolina puts its 12-game winning streak on the line tonight against the Elon Phoenix.
The No. 23 Pirates (13-4) will also look for some revenge against the Phoenix (17-2), who took a 9-6 win over ECU earlier in the year. The baseball game at Clark-LeClair Stadium will begin at 6 p.m.
Bennett Davis and Chris Dove hit home runs for the Phoenix in the earlier meeting. Ryan Wood and Kyle Roller went deep for the Pirates.
ECU outfielder Harrison Eldridge, who leads the Pirates with a .453 batting average, said his team will be out for some revenge.
Sthil Sowers (1-1, 7.24 ERA) will start for the Pirates. The freshman right-hander will look to shut down an Elon team that is hitting .339.
Dove leads the Phoenix with a .423 batting average to go with three homers and 12 RBI. Davis leads the club with five dingers, 26 RBI and is hitting at a .377 clip.
Other top hitters for Elon are Greg Annarummo (.421), Harris Austin (.419), Neal Pritchard (.369), Mike Melillo (.344), Chase Austin (.333), Donny Jobe (.324) and Cory Harrilchak (.318).
The Pirates open C-USA play against the Houston Cougars (12-6) with a three-game series beginning Friday.
Pirate freshman outfielder Trent Whitehead, a former star at Washington High School, said the team wants to go into the Houston series on a winning note.
ECU’s current string of 12 consecutive wins is the eighth longest in program history. The record for consecutive wins is 19, which came in 2004. The Pirates have won 15 straight two times, 14 consecutive games twice and 13 in a row two times.
During the current streak, the Pirates are hitting .345 and have outscored their opponents 120-53.
The Pirates certainly look comfortable at the plate as the team is hitting .325. Brandon Henderson is hitting .400 with five homers and 17 RBI. Other top hitters for the Pirates are Stephen Batts (.379, two homers, 20 RBI), Dustin Harrington (.366), Drew Schieber (.357), Ryan Wood (.351, six homers, 19 RBI) and Corey Kemp (.333).