By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Trent Whitehead has collected 137 hits in his East Carolina career. His two-out, ninth-inning single, which scored Chris Gosik with the game-winner, might be the biggest of his career.
The former Washington Pam Pack star slapped a single through the right side to cap a two-run rally, lifting the No. 13 Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks. The win by the Pirates (3-3), coming in front of 4,461 fans on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium, evened the series at 1-1 with the Gamecocks (4-1).
“I was just looking for a pitch I could drive,” said Whitehead, who went 3 for 5. “I knew (John Taylor) was probably coming with something off-speed. Luckily, I was able to make good contact.
“This team, ever since I’ve been here, never quits. We’ve never given up. We came out, competed and showed what true Pirates we really are.”
Austin Homan drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Brian Bass was inserted as a pinch runner. One out later, Cameron Freeman’s groundout moved Bass to second. Corey Thompson tied the game with a single into left.
“That was key,” said Thompson, who went 2 for 4. “We came in here to win the series. Today was a great start for us.”
Zach Wright’s infield single put runners at first and second with two outs. Gosik was inserted as a pinch runner at second.
Whitehead followed by lacing a single into right, scoring Gosik with the winning run. It was the sixth game-winning hit by Whitehead, and the first coming in the ninth inning.
“This (rally) says a lot,” ECU coach Billy Godwin said. “These guys aren’t going to quit. They hung in there with a lot of heart.”
The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Adam Matthews’ triple.
Kyle Roller’s monstrous shot tied the game in the bottom half. Whitehead legged out an infield hit to start the inning, the first hit by the Pirates in the game. One out later, Roller’s no-doubter sailed high over the fence in center. Roller’s blast, his second of the season and 41st of his career, tied the game at 2-2.
It was the first time the Pirates had gotten to South Carolina starter Sam Dyson, who had faced the minimum nine batters over the first three innings. The junior right hander, who struck out five and walked one, allowed two runs on five hits in four innings.
The second error of the series by Devin Harris, who was the hero in ECU’s regional tournament victory over South Carolina last year, enabled the Gamecocks to take the lead in the seventh. Harris dropped Whit Merrifield’s fly in right, allowing the speedy leadoff batter to race into second.
Adrian Morales followed with his first career hit, scoring Whitfield for a 3-2 lead.
Harris was replaced in the outfield in the eighth following his error in the seventh. To add to Harris’ woes, the junior, an eighth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles last year, went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts.
“You just have to love him,” Godwin said of Harris, who is now hitting .238. “That’s all you can do. This is a humbling game. He’s going to do great things for us. He’s going to bust his tail to get better.”
ECU starter Kevin Brandt was effective through 6 2/3 innings. The sophomore southpaw allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out six and walking three.
“He threw outstanding,” Godwin said. “He has a chance to be really special.”
Three ECU relievers kept South Carolina off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Seth Simmons (1-0) retired the final three batters to earn the victory.
Taylor (0-1) suffered the loss.
The teams end the series today at 1 p.m. Brad Mincey (0-1, 20.25 ERA) will start for the Pirates and Steven Neff (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the nod for the Gamecocks.
NOTES:
The Pirates play their first road game of the season on Tuesday when they travel to High Point. ECU returns home for the LeClair Classic beginning Friday. The Pirates will take on Illinois on Friday, West Virginia on Saturday and Western Carolina on Sunday.
Dustin Harrington’s leadoff single in the eighth gave the ECU shortstop a 14-game hitting streak.
South Carolina leadoff batter Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single into left on the first pitch of the game.