After being rained out on Friday, the East Carolina softball team split a doubleheader at Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday.
Below are more details from ECU Sports Information.
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Photo credit: Emma Jackson (ECU Sports Information photo)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The East Carolina softball team split its doubleheader with UAB on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Blazers 10-3 in the series opener before nearly rallying from a 9-3 deficit but falling short, 9-8, in the second game of the series at Mary Bowers Stadium.
ECU’s high-powered offense was on full display as the Pirates combined for nine home runs over the first two games of the series.
Game One: East Carolina 10, UAB 3
Emma Jackson and Chloe Geijer both hit two home runs while Morgan Johnson and Anna Sawyer each added a homer as East Carolina recorded six home runs to power past UAB in the series opener, 10-3.
After neither team got on base in the first inning, the Blazers got two runners on via a single and hit by pitch in the bottom of the second. UAB loaded the bases with two outs following a Pirate error but ECU’s defense bounced back to force UAB into a third out, ending the inning.
UAB got on the board first after another error from the Pirate infield allowed a run to cross home and the Blazers added another on an RBI single to take a 2-0 lead going into the fourth inning.
East Carolina tied the game in the top of the fourth with back-to-back homers from Jackson and Johnson. UAB jumped back in front after the Pirates’ third miscue of the game allowed a Blazers run to make it 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
The Pirates tied the contest back up in the fifth on Chloe Geijer’s solo home run and ECU went back in front, 5-3, on an RBI single from Logan Sutton and a passed ball that allowed Hannah Evans to score in the sixth inning.
East Carolina blew the game open in the top of the seventh as Jackson, Sawyer and Geijer all went yard to give the Pirates a 10-3 lead and seal the series opening victory for ECU.
Kendall Frost (11-14) picked up the win in the circle, going all seven innings.
Game Two: UAB 9, East Carolina 8
UAB struck first again with an RBI single in the bottom of the first but the Pirates responded after Sawyer hit a double and Gabby Fowler scored Sawyer with a double of her own to make the score 1-1 going into the bottom of the second.
Johnson hit a solo shot to put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the top of the third but the Blazers threatened to put runs on the board with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning until Jordan Hatch entered the circle and snuffed out the Blazers’ attempt to retake the lead.
The Pirates would extend their lead to 3-1 after Kanisha Anderson scored on an obstruction at home plate in the top of the fifth inning. UAB quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth and the Blazers plated eight runs to take a 9-3 lead.
Sawyer hit a home run in the top of the sixth and with the bases loaded, Jackson blasted a ball over the left field wall to clear the bases and pull the Pirates within a run and ECU’s defense quickly force three UAB outs going into the seventh inning.
ECU would hit into a double play in the top of the seventh and a fly out to left center would cut the Pirates’ comeback attempt short.
Hatch (1-2) took the loss in the circle, allowing three hits and giving up five runs.
Up Next
The Pirates will look to take the series in the rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.