By Staff
ECU Sports Information
HOUSTON, Texas — Matt Langwell tossed his first career complete game Sunday afternoon as No. 7 Rice defeated No. 23 East Carolina, 7-1, in Conference USA action at Reckling Park.
Langwell (4-0) scattered seven hits and allowed one run with four walks and five strikeouts.
Justin Bristow dropped to 5-2 on the season for ECU (27-13, 8-7) after pitching four innings, allowing five runs (all earned) with two walks and three strikeouts.
Freshman Seth Simmons worked three innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with one walk. Brett Butts pitched the eighth inning, recording one strikeout.
Rice (31-10, 13-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to five consecutive hits. J.P. Padron singled up the middle with one out then moved to second when Diego Seastrunk singled through the right side.
Aaron Luna continued the hitting barrage with a single of his own to left field that scored Padron and was misplayed by Trent Whitehead, putting runners on second and third. Rick Hague followed with a single through the left side that scored Seastrunk just before Adam Zornes capped the scoring with a single to left field that plated Luna.
Padron extended the Owls lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning with a two-RBI double to left-center field that chased Bristow from the game. Doug Simmons drew an opening frame walk then moved to third on Jared Gayhart’s double down the right field line.
Stephen Batts put the Pirates on the board, 5-1, in the sixth with an RBI single that scored Dustin Harrington from second base. Harrington led off with a single through the left side then moved to second on Ryan Wood’s walk setting up Batts’ at-bat.
Rice pushed two more runs across in the seventh on three hits to take a 7-1 lead.
Offensively, the Pirates collected seven hits with Harrington and Kyle Roller each collecting two. Corey Kemp saw his 16-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-3 at the plate.
ECU lost 5-4 in 10 innings in Saturday’s contest. Chad Mozingo drew a bases loaded walk off Brad Mincey in the bottom of the 10th inning that scored Diego Seastrunk for the win.
Whitehead collected a career-high three hits (3-for-4) in the loss.
The Pirates will return home on Tuesday when they play host to in-state rival UNC-Wilmington.
First pitch at Clark-LeClair Stadium is set for 6 p.m.