By Staff
Staff, Wire Reports
GREENVILLE — East Carolina used the long ball to perfection Saturday at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The No. 24 Pirates pounded three home runs during an eight-run fifth inning, leading to a 13-5 win over Southern Miss in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. Drew Schieber (3-for-4, 3 RBIs) belted a three-run homer to highlight the uprising.
Kyle Roller and Stephen Batts belted two-run homers in the big inning.
Southern Miss starter Todd McInnis (6-3) held the Pirates in check in a 2-1 Eagles win in the second game, striking out eight and allowing just two hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Collin Cargill closed it out for this seventh save.
ECU (32-13, 12-6) won two of the three games in the Conference USA series against the Eagles (25-18, 9-9).
Seth Maness (6-0) was the beneficiary of the offensive onslaught in the first game. The sophomore All-American gave up four runs on 10 hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and not walking a batter.
Kyle Lindsey (3-3), who surrendered three home runs, suffered the loss.
Trent Whitehead (3-for-5, 3 runs, 2 RBIs) also homered for the Pirates.
Whitehead, a former standout at Washington High School, led off the bottom of the first with a single. He eventually scored on an RBI single by Batts for a 1-0 lead.
Whitehead, who was held out of Friday’s series opener, scored on a run with a groundout in the second. Schieber later scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead.
Joey Archer’s home run in the top of the fourth tied it at 3-3.
Whitehead’s fourth homer of the year, a liner over the fence in right, gave the Pirates a 4-3 advantage.
Taylor Walker tied it in the top of the fifth with a solo blast.
ECU responded with eight runs. Schieber, Roller and Batts homered, while Wood’s bunt single scored Whitehead for the other run.
Chocowinity product Britton Cole closed it out for the Pirates. He allowed Kyle Maxie’s homer in the ninth, but that was all.
ECU couldn’t get the bats going in the second game, spoiling a nice outing by starter Brad Mincey (5-4).
The Eagles took advantage of an error to go up 1-0 in the first. Walker walked, went to third on an error and scored on a sac fly by Bo Davis.
B.A. Vollmuth’s homer in the fifth gave Southern Miss a 2-0 lead.
That was just one of two hits Mincey allowed in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.
The Pirates threatened with two outs in the eighth. Austin Homan drew a two-out walk and Whitehead followed with a single, but Wood struck out to end the inning.
Batts hit a two-homer in the ninth to make it 2-1, but that’s as close at ECU would get.
The Pirates return to action Tuesday at Elon for a 7 p.m. game.
ECU returns home Friday for a three-game series with Louisiana-Lafayette. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.