By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE —Kevin Brandt kept the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers guessing and the No. 11 East Carolina Pirates got some clutch hitting in a 6-1 victory Saturday.
A crowd of 5,136 fans, the third largest in stadium history, watched the Pirates earn their first win of the season on a sunny afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The Pirates (1-1) and Cavaliers (1-1) will play the rubber match today.
“It feels good to get the win after a tough loss (Friday),” ECU junior centerfielder Trent Whitehead said. “Kevin pitched a great game and we had some huge at bats.
“Virginia is a very good team and for us to come out and compete the way we did, I’m proud of this team.”
Brandt (1-0) was solid on the hill. The sophomore southpaw allowed one run while scattering five hits, striking out four and walking three in 6 2/3 innings.
“I thought Kevin threw outstanding,” ECU coach Billy Godwin said. “He was able to mix his pitches. He was able to keep (the Cavaliers) off balance with a very good change up.”
The Pirates provided Brandt with plenty of offensive support. ECU cranked out 11 hits. John Wooten had two hits and two RBIs, including a home run in his first collegiate at bat.
“I had a hunch,” Godwin said about Wooten. “I thought John was going to do some good things. He proved my hunch right.”
Whitehead, Austin Homan and Cameron Freeman also had two hits apiece.
Wooten clobbered a home run in his first at bat during ECU’s two-run third. The freshman out of Eastern Wayne High School smacked a solo shot over the fence in right, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
“I just happened to be that guy today,” Wooten said. “I squared it up and was happy to hit it out of the yard. It wasn’t by any means something I meant to do, but I hit it good.”
Corey Thompson walked later in the inning and Whitehead reached on an infield hit to get two aboard. After a passed ball allowed the runners to move up, Dustin Harrington’s groundout scored Thompson for a 2-0 advantage.
ECU tacked on two more in the fifth, chasing Virginia starter Robert Morey (0-1), who allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Thompson led off with a single and he eventually scored on a wild pitch. Harrington, who singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games dating back to last season, scored on a sac fly off the bat of Homan for a 4-0 lead.
Virginia scratched across a run in the seventh. John Barr drew a leadoff walk and he later scored on Phil Gosselin’s groundout to make it 4-1.
That was all Brandt would allow.
“I just tried to come out and focus,” Brandt said. “My objective is just to come out here and have fun.”
The Pirates responded with two runs in the eighth. Freeman and Wooten had RBI singles to push the lead to 6-1.
ECU reliever Mike Wright didn’t allow a hit and struck out one in 1 1/3 innings. Closer Seth Simmons pitched a scoreless ninth, fanning two and walking one.
The teams close out the series at 1 p.m. today.
NOTES:
Former Washington Pam Pack star Trent Whitehead, ECU’s leadoff batter, went 2-3 with a walk and four putouts. The junior is 2-6 with two walks and one hit-by-pitch this season.
Brad Mincey will start for ECU today. Virginia will counter with Cody Winiarski.
The Pirates play host to Old Dominion on Tuesday, before welcoming No. 10 South Carolina into town for a three-game series beginning Friday.