ECU’s baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision at Memphis on Saturday. The final game of the series is Sunday.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The East Carolina Pirates (29-18-1, 13-7 American) couldn’t keep up with the Memphis Tigers (17-28, 9-11) on Saturday afternoon with a back-and-forth loss 5-3.
With a fast start from the Pirates on Friday, it doesn’t start that way at the top of the lineup on Saturday. After being retired quickly by the Tigers, Memphis saw the opportunity in the bottom of the first.
Using the advantage of the wind, Javon Hernandez, two-hole for the Pirates, rocked one to deep right field to score the Tigers’ first run of the series.
Brayden Bachman changes the approach offensively for the Pirates, putting the first ball in play with a single in the second. But with the baserunner, the Pirates were unable to produce on two outs.
Although in the deficit, Ethan Norby shows grit on the bump. With runners on first and second, Norby composes three strikeouts to keep the Tigers stranded and the Pirates still only down by one.
In the top of the third, Jeff Sabater singles for the second hit for the Pirates, with Nick Parham successfully putting down a sacrifice bunt to move Sabater into scoring position. Although Braden Burress moved the baserunner to third with his first single, the Pirates were left stranded at first and third, still down on the board.
Memphis gained insurance in the third. Forcing the first walk on the day, the Tigers have yet another base runner. With a stolen base and a single right after, Memphis plates another to end the third 2-0.
The Pirates finally force the field into action in the fifth. Walker Barron leads off the inning, forcing a full-count walk, the first the Tigers have thrown on the day. Sabater has another single on the day, putting two baserunners on for the Pirates with no outs. Parham, for the second time, squares up for another sacrifice bunt, but puts the pressure on the defense to force a throwing error in the field, resulting in a run and two baserunners in scoring position.
Burress puts a ball to the shortstop, though it forces a fielder’s choice with an out at third. The Pirates close the gap with a tie game, 2-2. With two wild pitches, Burress is on third. Colby Wallace forces an error, allowing the go-ahead run to score on the play. Pirates now up 3-2, turning over the inning.
Unable to gain insurance in the sixth, the Pirates face some more adversity in the bottom six. All with no outs, the Tigers single four in a row, with Tyler Harrington’s hit plating the tying run for Memphis, board now reading 3-3. With another deep single with bases loaded, Shane Cox brings two in for a go-ahead single, Memphis now back up on the Pirates by two.
With the Pirates unable to come back for a second time, the Tigers force a rubber match on Sunday for the series.
The Pirates had seven hits to the Tigers’ nine, leaving 10 runners on base and scoring three runs. Sabater remained the only Pirate with multiple hits with two. Burress, Barron and Sabater accounted for the three runs on the day.
The Pirates have now had five games on the season striking out at least 10 times, with game two against Memphis marking the second on the week.
First pitch for the rubber match on Sunday is set for 2:05 p.m. EST.