By Staff
ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE — Junior Chris Heston fanned a career-high 11 batters and scattered two hits over eight innings to lead No. 21 East Carolina (33-14) to a 7-1 win over Louisiana-Lafayette (21-23-1) Friday night in game one of a three-game non-conference series at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Heston improved to 7-0 on the season facing 28 batters, just four over the minimum, allowing a pair of walks to go with the two base hits. He retired 11 straight Cajuns to start the game, six by strikeout before Travis Whipple single to left in the fourth. After back-to-back walks, Heston regained his focus and fanned Chad Keefer to end the Cajuns threat.
The right-hander from Seminole Community College would go on to retire the final 10 batters, four by strikeouts, before being lifted in the ninth with a 7-0 lead. Seth Simmons closed out the final frame allowing a run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
Zach Osborne (3-3) fell even on the year with his third loss working seven strong innings where he allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and five punch outs. Blake Haagen pitched the eighth allowing three runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
Ryan Wood put the Pirates up 1-0 in the first on his ninth home run of the season to right center.
Drew Schieber’s two-RBI double down the right field line highlighted a three-run ECU seventh pushing the score to 4-0. Devin Harris singled to left field then took third when Dustin Harrington reached on an error. Schieber, who cleared the bases with his 13th double of the year, came around to score on a throwing error by Travis Whipple to cap the scoring at 4-0.
In the eighth, ECU added three more runs to its total taking a 7-0 lead. Stephen Batts landed on third to start the inning when he reached on a error by the centerfielder, Alex Fuseilier. Kyle Roller drove in his 55th run of the season with a single up the middle just before Brandon Henderson eighth homer of the year to center field.
Whipple’s solo homer in the top of the ninth ended the shutout making the score 7-1.
The Pirates and Cajuns will resume the series today at 3 p.m.