East Carolina’s baseball team beat Rice, 3-0, on Sunday to earn a spot in the American Conference tournament.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
The East Carolina Pirates (30-21-1, 14-10 American) had a pitcher’s duel on Sunday afternoon, posting a shutout 3-0 score against the Rice Owls (31-21, 13-11 American). With the win, the Pirates stand alone in second in the conference standings, two games behind UTSA (34-17, 16-8 American).
Luke Payne got to work in his start in the first, shutting down the Rice offense with three-up and three-down with two strikeouts to start the game.
Offenses were both quiet in the first, but the Pirates found some ground in the bottom of the second. Davin Whitaker off a first pitch, blasts one over the scoreboard at 401 feet to give East Carolina the lead for the first time since Friday. Although the Pirates are finding the field, there came no luck from the rest of the lineup, posting a 1-0 score at the end of the second.
Payne kept the Owls at bay for the entirety of his outing, going 4.0 innings. Although the Pirates had a scare in the fourth inning with two runners on, the Pirate defense helped Payne. Walker Barron caught Rice stealing third (his second of the game), and the Pirates forced Rice to keep their runners stranded.
With a score of still 1-0 going into the fifth innings, Ethan Rose entered to relieve Payne and keep the effort of a shutout going. Although Rose found himself in sticky situations, he and his defense were able to find their way out.
In the top of the fifth, Rose steps in with one runner on, no outs. With a failed bunt attempt by Rice, the Pirates gain an out. Quickly, the bases become loaded with a single and a walk. The Pirate defense worked overtime, solidifying a double-play with a line out to Alex Bouche at first, and stepping on the bag to beat the runner back to get out of the inning, unharmed.
For the second time in a row in the sixth, the Pirates yet find themselves again in a bases-loaded situation, but with no outs. Rice, stringing together two singles and a walk, gave the Owls a chance to finally hit one in to end the shutout. But the Pirates had other plans. After forcing a foul-out to third, Rose gave his defensive moment on the field, throwing home for the force, with Barron making the throw to first to have a double play to get out, once again, with no runs for the Owls.
The Pirates finally worked some insurance in the eighth. Nick Parham gets a hold of a first-pitch, going 372 feet into right field for the second home run of the game. The long ball was working for the Pirates. With one out, Jack Herring forced a walk for a baserunner, with Braden Burress right behind with a single for two runners. Colby Wallace handles a double to left field, scoring Herring from second, and putting the Pirates up by three going into the ninth inning.
The Pirates solidified and avoided being swept, ultimately taking one from Rice to keep second place in the conference, with Rice and UAB now tied for third with 13-11 records in conference.
The Pirates totaled seven hits on the day, with Burress and Wallace notching two each. Whitaker and Parham both gave no-doubters to the Jungle, and Herring accounted for the seventh hit.
The Pirate defense shone in times of need, with the pitching staff handling no runs on the day. Rose wins in his efforts, going 2.1 innings, only giving up three hits and two walks. Payne got the start, with his 4.0 innings of work, giving up only one hit and four walks, while also sitting down four on the day. Charlie Hoagland closed out the game, receiving his first career save, going 2.2 innings, giving up one hit with no walks, and having two strikeouts.
The Pirates are back in action for the final time in Clark LeClair for the season, hoping Campbell on Tuesday evening. First pitch on May 12 is set for 6:00 p.m. EST.