By Staff
Henderson smacks two home runs and collects three hits
ECU Sports Information
NEW ORLEANS, La. — Conrad Flynn struck out a career-high eight batters and Jeremy Schaffer blasted a three-run home run as Tulane (22-17, 5-7) took game three of a Conference USA series against No. 17 East Carolina (28-12, 10-5) at Greer Field inside Turchin Stadium, 4-3.
Flynn improved to 4-3 on the season after allowing three runs (all earned) on seventh hits with a walk. Nick Pepitone picked up his sixth save of the season after working 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit.
Brad Mincey lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Kevin Brandt, who entered the game in the fifth with runners on first and second and one out, got Schaffer to pop up to second after Josh Prince was caught stealing at third to get out of the jam. Brandt went three innings, scattering two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Seth Simmons closed out the game for the Pirates, working two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout.
Brandon Henderson put the Pirates up 1-0 in the first when he took a 1-2 offering from Flynn to right field for his sixth home run of the season and 27th of his career.
Tulane took a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning thanks to a three-run home run by Jeremy Schaffer to right field. Scott Powell singled to left field on the first pitch of the frame, then took third on Sam Honeck’s double down the right field line. After Schaffer hit his eighth home run of the season, Tulane scored another run when Evan Mistich doubled to right field scoring Seth Henry from first base.
Dustin Harrington smacked his eighth home run of the season and second of the weekend with a solo shot to right center, pulling the Pirates within two, 4-2, in the seventh.
Henderson hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot to right, cutting the Green Wave’s lead to one, 4-3 in the eighth.
Offensively for the Pirates, Henderson recorded three hits with a pair of home runs and Stephen Batts collected a pair of base knocks.
The Pirates will be back on the diamond today when they play host to in-state foe Elon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair with a first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
Aona leads Pirates to sweep of Memphis
Team ties program record for most C-USA wins in a season
GREENVILLE — Cristen Aona drove in three runs and scored another as East Carolina defeated Memphis 6-1 on Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game series sweep. The victory extends the Pirates’ (34-11, 17-4 C-USA) winning-streak to eight games and they have won the last six contests against Memphis (20-25, 5-13 C-USA).
The 17 Conference USA victories ties the 2005 squad for the most in a season in program history. The win also gives the Pirates four Conference USA series sweeps this season, the most in a year in program history.
Toni Paisley, 26-6, picked up her fifth victory of the week for the Pirates as she scattered six hits and struck out six.
After sending Memphis down in order to start the game, ECU scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the first. Jessica Johnson singled to left with two down, stole second base and scored on Aona’s double to right center.
Marina Gusman-Brown kept the inning alive with a single to left that drove in Aona. Sarah Bibee also singled to left but Gusman-Brown was thrown out at home to end the inning.
The Tigers got on the board with a run in the top of the third to make the score 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Pirates regained the two-run lead and made the score 3-1. Angel Barrella led off reaching on an error by the shortstop and moved to second on Charina Sumner’s sacrifice bunt. Johnson flew out deep to left and Barrella tagged and went to third on the play. Aona collected her second two-out RBI of the contest on her infield single that drove in Barrella for a 3-1 ECU advantage.
Maddie McKinley hit a one-out double in the top of the fourth for Memphis and Brittany Gooch followed with an infield single, putting runners on first and third with one out. Gooch stole second, but Paisley struck out Nikki Moreno and Jessica Phillips to end the threat.
East Carolina added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth the Pirates added their final run as Merrida singled, stole second, went to third on a Sissy Jimenez pinch-hit single and scored on a single to right by Tom.
The Tigers went down in order in the seventh inning to secure the victory for the Pirates.
ECU will look to extend its winning streak on Tuesday when it goes against No. 13 North Carolina in Chapel Hill at 6 p.m. The Pirates will then host in-state rival UNC Greensboro on Wednesday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m