By Staff
ECU sports Information
RALEIGH – Trent Whitehead hit two home runs and drove in a career-high five RBI and Drew Schieber drove in four as No. 16 East Carolina (22-5) snapped a five-game losing streak to in-state rival NC State (15-13) with a 14-4 victory Wednesday night at Doak Field.
A pair of three-run home runs by Whitehead and Devin Harris highlighted a seven-run third inning that gave ECU an early 7-0 lead and the Pirates never looked back. Jared Avchen was plunked by a Cutler pitch then took second on Austin Homan’s single up the middle before Whitehead cleared the bases.
After Stephen Batts drew a walk then took second when Kyle Roller was plunked by another Cutler fastball, Drew Schieber drove in the fourth run of the frame with a single down the third base line just out of Drew Martin’s reach that scored Batts. Harris unloaded on a Cutler fastball, his fifth of the season, to left center putting the Pirates up 7-0.
Brad Mincey improved to 6-1 on the season after working five innings where he allowed two runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Bailey Daniels made his 14th appearance working a scoreless sixth allowing a hit and fanning two before passing the ball to Kevin Brandt in the seventh who gave up two runs on one hit. The sophomore duo of Sthil Sowers and Seth Simmons closed out the last two frames fanning a combined three batters.
Joey Cutler dropped to 0-2 on the season after allowing four runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. The Wolfpack used 10 pitchers on the night in a staff outing, that gave up 14 runs on 11 hits, walked five and fanned 12 ECU hitters.
Whitehead put the Pirates up 9-0 in the fourth with his second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot down the left field line. Avchen reached base for the second time on the night when he was walked before touching home on Whitehead’s homer.
The Wolfpack plated two runs in the fifth cutting ECU’s lead to seven, 9-2. Brett Mayard got the Pack on the board in the fifth with an RBI double off the left center field wall that scored John Gianis from second. Gianis led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second when Kyle Wilson grounded out to Batts at first. Drew Poulk doubled to left center pushing across Maynard for the second run of the frame.
Schieber’s two-out triple to center pushed the Pirates lead to 12-2 in the sixth. Whitehead collected his third hit of the game, an infield single, then moved to second on Ryan Wood’s single to left and went to third when Roller was hit by another pitch loading the bases for Schieber’s bases clearing triple.
Andrew Ciencin drew the Wolfpack within eight, 12-4, with a two-out double off the left field wall in the seventh that scored Kyle Wilson and Drew Paulk.
ECU will hit the road Thursday for a three-game Conference USA series against UAB, which starts Friday night at 8 p.m.