By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Some young guns provided the spark the No. 16 East Carolina Pirates needed in an 8-5 win over Gardner-Webb.
Four freshmen came up big on a chilly Tuesday evening in front of a sparse crowd at Clark-LeClair Stadium, helping the Pirates (9-6) rally past the Runnin’ Bulldogs (7-11).
John Wooten and Chris Gosik hit home runs, Philip Clark had a clutch RBI-single and pitcher Joseph Hughes recorded the win. Gosik and Clark came up with their first collegiate hits in the victory.
“I looked at it when they were announcing the starting lineup and I was like, ‘holy cow, we have four freshman in the lineup. I feel like I’m back at Louisburg Junior College, playing freshmen all the time,” ECU coach Billy Godwin joked. “It was good.
“Wooten got a big home run, Gosik swung the bat well and I thought Philip Clark played really well in the absence of (Trent) Whitehead (who didn’t play because of flu-like symptoms). Joseph was good enough to give us five or six innings so we didn’t have to deplete our bullpen.”
Hughes (1-0), who made his first college start, was roughed up in the first inning. Josh Drewery’s 3-run home run was the big blow. Hughes was able to settle down after the rocky start.
“I just told (Hughes) that he had to keep the ball down,” Godwin said. “He settled in better with his off-speed stuff and commanded his fastball better after the first inning.”
The Pirates tied the game in the second thanks to home runs by Wooten and Gosik, coming off Gardner-Webb starter Conner Scarborough (0-3). Wooten’s two-run blast, his fourth of the year, and Gosik’s solo shot, his first collegiate hit, tied the game at 3-3.
Clark’s first collegiate hit gave the Pirates the lead in the fourth. After Wooten walked and Devin Harris singled, Clark punched an RBI single into left for a 4-3 lead. Jared Avchen’s two-run double extended the lead to 6-3. That helped end the night for Scarborough (6 runs, 8 hits in 5 innings).
Gardner-Webb closed within 6-5 in the sixth on hits by Matt Sapp and Adam McFarland, which ended the night for Hughes (5 runs, 2 earned, 9 hits in 5 2/3 innings).
Sac fly RBIs by Avchen in the sixth and Harris in the seventh gave the Pirates a little more breathing room at 8-5.
ECU reliever Sthil Sower kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard with 2 1/3 innings of two-hit ball.
Seth Simmons closed it out with his fifth save, but not before loading the bases.
“Overall, I’m happy that we won, but we still have a long way to go,” Godwin said. “We have to play at a higher level.”
Dustin Harrington’s 22-game hitting streak came to a halt in the win.
The Pirates are back in action today at High Point. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Zach Woods (2-1) will start for the Pirates and Zach Halle (1-0) will throw for the Panthers.
ECU returns home Friday for a three-game series against Monmouth, N.J. Game times are set for 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.