Road 2 Omaha....ECU Baseball 2009

**head_strong** · 02-23-09, 12:32 PM

**head_strong** · 02-26-09, 10:16 PM

The #23 Pirates hosted the #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Clark-LeClair Stadium. This was the 1st of 2 meetings between these 2 teams as the Cowboys will remain in town for the Keith LeClair Classic this weekend.

Sthill Sowers got the start for the Pirates, I speculate he got the nod to keep the starting rotation intact for this weekends classic. His appearance was a brief one only lasting 2.2 innings, allowing 9 hits and 7 runs. The Pirates found themselves facing a 7-1 deficit entering the bottom of the 3rd inning. Freshman Kevin Brandt made his Pirate debut shutting down the Cowboy offense, going 6.1 innings, of the 23 batters he faced he only surrendered 3 hits while striking out 7 and allowing 0 runs. From there the Pirate offense took over, Stephen Batts had his usual performance going 3-5 w/ 3RBIs and a 3 run bomb, Drew Schieber went 4-5 w/ 3RBIs and a 2 run bomb, Trent Whitehead went 4-5 w/ 3RBIs, Ryan Wood went 2-4 w/ 1RBI a walk and 2 runs scored. The Pirates scored a total of 8 runs in the 7th inning to put the game out of reach. On the day the Diamond Bucs combined for 14 runs on 20 hits to record the W.

ECU 14 Oklahoma St 7

Record: 4-0

**head_strong** · 02-27-09, 07:12 PM

The 6th Annual Keith LeClair Classic kicked off today @ Clark-LeClair Stadium. Due to potential inclement weather in the Greenville area this weekend the Pirates played 2 today and the 3rd game in less than 24 hours. Got to question the decision making here, imo if the game gets rained out it gets rained out, but to force a team to play its 3rd game in less than 24 hours and after only a 40 minute turn around from the 2nd game is ridiculous. Game 1 the Diamond Bucs faced off against the St John’s Red Storm. Game 2 featured a rematch with the Oklahoma St Cowboys.

Game 1….. Chris Heston got his 2nd start for the Pirates lasting 5.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, striking out 2. Brad Mincey came on in relief going 2.2 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 run, while striking out 3. Seth Simmons came on in the 9th, after walking the 1st 2 batters Godwin went to Bailey Daniels who recorded the save. The Pirate offense remained hot, in the leadoff spot Trent Whitehead went 2-5 w/ 1RBI, Ryan Wood went 2-4 w/ a walk, Stephen Batts went 2-4 w/ a walk, Kyle Roller went 2-3 w/ 1RBI and a walk, Brandon Henderson went 3-5 w/ 3RBIs and a bomb, Drew Schieber went 2-4 w/ 1RBI and a walk, Dustin Harrington also added a solo shot. On the day the Pirates recorded 16 hits and crossed the plate 9 times.

ECU 9 St John’s 7

Record: 5-0

Game 2…..Seth Maness got his 2nd start of the season, while going 7 innings he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 8. Cowboys left fielder Neil Medchill had Maness’s number all day going 2-3 w/ 2 home runs 3RBIs 3 runs and a walk. Despite the performance from Medchill the Pirates had a 6-4 lead entering the top of the 8th inning. The Cowboys responded to the Pirates 4 run 7th with a 3 run 8th to reclaim a 7-6 lead which they never relinquished. Patrick Somers and Bailey Daniels worked the 8th inning, they both struggled with command while turning in below average performances. Stephen Batts went 1-5 but did extend his hit streak to 64 games, other bright spots in the Pirate offense were Brandon Henderson who went 2-4 w/ 3RBI and had his 2nd homer in as many games, Trent Whitehead went 2-5, Ryan Wood went 1-4 w/ a 2 run shot. The Pirates out hit the #11 ranked Cowboys for the 2nd consecutive day but came up short on the scoreboard for the 1st loss of the season.

ECU 6 Oklahoma St 7

Record: 5-1

**head_strong** · 03-04-09, 09:26 PM

Coming off a 2-1 week the Pirates continue to move up in the national polls landing in the #20 spot. ECU welcomed former Colonial Conference rival Old Dominion to Clark-LeClair Stadium. This weekend the Pirates will play the 1st road games of the young season at the Holiday Inn Eagle Invitational, J.J. Clements Stadium.

Sophomore Mike Anderson got the start for the Pirates; he went 4 innings while giving up 3 runs on 5 hits (strikeouts 4, walks 2). All 3 runs Anderson surrendered came in the top of the 4th inning, unfortunately for Anderson he got 0 run support and had no chance of recording the win. After a slow start the Pirates offense slowly started to come to life, scoring 1 run in the bottom of the 4th then another in the bottom of the 5th cutting the Monarchs lead to 3-2. Brad Mincey came on in relief for Anderson shutting down ODUs offense. The sophomore went 4 innings only allowing 3 hits and 0 runs. From there the Diamond Bucs offense faded all hopes of a Monarch comeback tacking on 3 runs in the 6th then 3 more in the 8th. Nice to see balance throughout the lineup as Whitehead, Wood, Batts, Henderson, Roller, Avchen and Homan all recorded at least 1 RBI. On the day the Pirates finished with 13 hits and touched the pentagon 8 times getting the win.

ECU 8 Old Dominion 3

Record: 6-1

**head_strong** · 03-09-09, 06:32 PM

The Pirates take 2nd at the Holiday Inn Eagle Invitational, while Georgia Southern improved its record to 11-1 claiming the title. The Pirates reached the title game after out slugging Le Moyne on Friday then out pitching Indiana on Saturday. ECU and Rice remain as the only 2 representatives from Conference USA in this weeks polls.

Preseason C-USA pitcher of the year Seth Maness continues to struggle early in the season, he got shelled only lasting 4 innings while giving up 11 hits leading to 7 runs. Luckily for him the Pirate offense had an answer recording a season high 24 hits and crossing the plate 18 times. Le Moyne was unable to keep pace with the Pirates offensive onslaught. Leadoff man Trent Whitehead recorded a team high 4 hits while Ryan Wood had a team high 4RBI, Stephen Batts finished 3-4 while as many as 8 Pirates recorded at least 2 hits on the day.

ECU 19 Le Moyne 8

Although Indiana starter Eric Arnett hurled his way to a 150 pitch complete game, the Pirates used a committee of pitchers striking out 13 Hoosiers on the way to the win. Junior starter Chris Heston led the attack striking out 8 in 6 innings of work. Stephen Batts continues to power the offense finishing the day 2-3, 1HR, 1RBI, 2 stolen bases and 1 walk.

ECU 5 Indiana 3

Eagle catcher Griffin Benedict was a thorn in the Diamond Bucs side all afternoon, single handily dismantling the Pirate pitching staff, Benedict finished the day with 5 hits, 2HR and 6RBI. The Eagles washed away all hopes of a ECU comeback with an 8 run 7th inning. Stephen Batts and Brandon Henderson both recorded a couple hits in what turned out to be a frustrating day for the Pirate offense.

ECU 4 Georgia Southern 14

Stephen Batts received his 2nd Conference USA hitter of the week award, the senior LF leads C-USA in hitting with a .535 average. He also leads the conference in runs scored (18), total bases (39), slugging percentage (.907), hits (23) and on base-percentage (.583). At the Invitational he went 8-15 with 2HR, 3RBI, 3 doubles and a 1.133 slugging percentage.

Record: 8-2

**head_strong** · 03-11-09, 06:17 PM

ECU returned home to host the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Clark-LeClair Stadium for a 2 game series. The Pirates will play a total of 5 games this week with the UCLA Bruins coming to Lewis Field on Friday for a 3 game set.

Game 1….. Sophomore Mike Anderson had another solid start for the Diamond Bucs going 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6. Brad Mincey came on in relief throwing 2 shutout innings and recorded his 3rd win of the season. Catcher Jared Avchen came up with a clutch 2 out 2-run double in the 8th to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead. ECU has scored 45 of their 95 runs this season with 2 outs (47.3%). Coach Godwin went to Seth Simmons in the 9th closing the door on the Bulldogs to get his 2nd save of the season. Avchen’s 2-run 2 out double makes him the 8th different Pirate to record a game winning RBI this season.

ECU 4 UNC Asheville 2

Record: 9-2

Game 2….. This game was over after the 1st inning, Pirate pitchers held the Bulldogs to 1 run on 7 hits, while the Pirate offense scored 21 runs on 17 hits.

ECU 21 UNC Asheville 1

Record: 10-2

sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 03-17-09, 06:19 AM

The weather was not very cooperative for this weekend’s series with the UCLA Bruins. What was scheduled to be a regular 3 game series turned out to be anything but that. Due to potential inclement weather the teams were scheduled to play 2 on Friday, then 1 on Saturday. Game 1 turned into a marathon with the 1st inning lasting 1 hour alone, Game 2 which was later delayed due to rain in the 6th inning was then rescheduled. Saturday they played 1 ½ games, starting Game 2 of the series in the 6th inning.

Game 1…..Despite the bad weather both teams were ready to play combining for 10 runs in the 1st inning and taking 1 hour to complete. Seth Maness continues to struggle, although he struck out 6 in 5 innings, he allowed 7 runs on 12 hits. Cody Decker did most the damage for the Bruins hitting 2HR and recording 5RBI on the day. Brad Mincey couldn’t hold a 9-7 lead for the Pirates, entering the 6th inning he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and received his 1st lost on the season. Trent Whitehead led the offense going 4-6 with 4RBI.

ECU 9 UCLA 10

Game 2…..This games was a continuation of Friday’s game which was called due to weather in the 6th inning. Trailing 5-3 in the 6th the Pirates used a Drew Schieber 3-run homer to quickly reclaim the lead. The ECU bullpen continues to struggle which is putting more pressure on the offense. Sthil Sowers once again failed to hold the lead, dropping his record to 1-2 on the year. UCLA scored 3 runs in the final 3 innings to get their 2nd consecutive win over the Pirates.

ECU 6 UCLA 8

Game 3…..Freshman Mike Wright took the hill for the Pirates, though his appearance was brief (2 1/3 innings) he only allowed 1 run on 1 hit. Fellow freshman Kevin Brandt went 5 innings giving up 4 runs on 4 hits and improved his record to 3-0. Bailey Daniels came on in the 8th striking out 3 of the 5 batters he faced. The seniors carried the offensive load for the Pirates combining for all the hits and runs on the day. Brandon Henderson went 3-3 2RBI, Ryan Wood 3-5, Drew Schieber 2-4 4RBI, Stephen Batts 1-4 1RBI. Drew Schieber hit his 2nd 3-run homer in as many days.

ECU 7 UCLA 5

Record: 11-4

**head_strong** · 03-18-09, 10:03 PM

After posting a 3-2 week the Pirates dropped into the #23 spot in the national rankings. ECU is set to play 2 midweek games, the 1st against the Richmond Spiders. The following day they will host the Norfolk State Spartans before opening up conference play against Central Florida later this weekend.

ECU starter Mike Anderson lasted 2 2/3 innings before reaching his predetermined pitch count, only allowing 1 run on 1 hit. Patrick Somers recorded his 1st collegiate win going 2 1/3 innings giving up 1 run on 3 hits. Brad Mincey, Sthil Sowers and Ryan Wood also made appearances on the mound containing the Spiders offense. Senior Brandon Henderson set the tone for the Diamond Bucs going 3-3 w/ a grand slam and 5RBI. Lead-off man Trent Whitehead remains locked in going 3-4, w/ 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 walks and 1 stolen base. Other bright spots in the lineup include Kyle Roller going 1-4 w/ 1HR and 4RBI, Austin Homan went 1-4 scoring 3 runs, Stephen Batts failed to come up with a hit for the 1st time this season going 0-2 w/ 3 walks. On the day ECU combined for 13 hits reaching the double digit hit mark for the 14th time this season. With the win the Pirates improved its all-time record to 22-1-1 when playing on St. Patrick’s Day.

ECU 15 Richmond 4

ECU used an 8 run 3rd inning and a 10 run 7th inning to post 26 runs on 27 hits. The Pirates scored in every frame but 1 while 14 different players recorded at least 1 hit on the day. ECU also had the long ball going producing a season high 6 bombs. Jared Avchen 2-2 (2HR 2 walks), Stephen Batts 4-5 (1HR 2RBI), Trent Whitehead 3-7 (3RBI 1 triple), Ryan Wood 3-5 (3 runs 2 walks), Kyle Roller 3-5 (1RBI 2 runs), Broc Sutton 2-3 (1HR 4RBI), Cameron Freeman 2-4 (1HR 3 runs), Zac Wright (1HR 2RBI) were the main contributors. Over the past 2 days the Pirates have scored an astonishing 41 runs, hopefully they can keep the momentum going entering conference play this weekend.

ECU 26 Norfolk St 6

Record: 13-4

midweek sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**BetterBetter** · 03-20-09, 09:59 PM

Nice to see another ecu fan around here. Do you post on the Pillage and Plunder boards?

**head_strong** · 03-22-09, 02:27 PM

ECU awaits the arrival of the Central Florida Golden Knights to open up conference play this weekend with a 3 game set. After scoring a combined 41 runs in the previous 2 contest this week the Pirates look to keep the offense rolling.

The Pirates sent Chris Heston to the hill in Game 1. Heston turned in another solid performance improving his record to 3-0 and lowering his ERA to 2.35. The Diamond Bucs offense continues to overwhelm opponents pitching staffs, producing yet another double-digit hit/run performance and scoring at least 1 run in every inning. This marks the 2nd consecutive game the Pirates scored exactly 26 runs. DH Kyle Roller led the way going 5-6 (2HR & 5 RBI), Devin Harris 4-6 (1HR & 4RBI), Dustin Harrington 3-4 (2RBI & 3 runs), Stephen Batts 3-7 (2RBI & 3 doubles) and Ryan Wood 3-4 (4 runs & 1 walk).

ECU 26 Central Florida 1

In Game 2 Seth Maness got the ball, lasting 7 innings (2 runs on 5 hits) Maness turned in one of his better performances on the season. The offense once again provided more than enough run support to secure the victory. After posting 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning the Pirates never looked back controlling the game from the outset. The Golden Knights had very little success containing the #1 and #2 hitters in the Pirate lineup. Whitehead and Wood who stayed on base most the afternoon combined to go 8-11, 2RBI, 6 runs, 2 doubles and 2 stolen bases. Dustin Harrington also had a 4 hit day while Kyle Roller went 2-3 w/ 2RBI. ECU piled on 21 hits and touched home plate 13 times to take control of the series.

ECU 13 Central Florida 3

Game 3 starter Mike Anderson got off to a shaky start giving up 3 runs in the 1st. Freshman Kevin Brandt came on in relief shutting down the Golden Knights going 5.1 innings while only surrendering 1 hit improving his record to 3-0. Kyle Roller hit a 3-run HR, Stephen Batts added a 2-run shot and Devin Harris chipped in with a solo HR to power the ECU offense.

ECU 10 Central Florida 3

The #23 Pirates should find themselves moving up in the national rankings after posting a 5-0 record on the week. ECU’s offense exploded scoring an incredible 90 runs in the 5 contest (avg. 18 runs per game).

Record: 16-4

sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 03-25-09, 07:22 PM

After finishing last week a perfect 5-0 ECU moved up a few spots to 19th in the national polls. On the week the Pirates hit .450 recording 90 runs off 98 hits including 14HR and 26 doubles. ECU will play 5 more this week, the 1st when they visit Campbell to face off against the Fighting Camels. The following day the Pirates will return to Greenville to host the #26 UNC Wilmington Seahawks (17-3).

ECU starter Sthil Sowers somehow remains in the rotation despite an 11.68ERA in his 6 appearances this season. His struggles continued against Campbell only lasting 4.2 innings while surrendering 6 hits and 7 runs. Fortunately the ECU offense continues to produce turning in yet another double-digit hit/run performance. Perhaps wanting to prove he was worthy of his recent recognition and national awards Kyle Roller pounded out another 4 hits (1HR) and 4RBI. With ECU down 9-8 w/ 2 outs in the 9th, Roller laced a single to left field scoring Batts and Wood to give the Pirates a 10-9 lead. Seth Simmons struck out the side in the 9th to get the win and close the door on the Camels. Other bright spots in the lineup were RF Devin Harris going 4-5 w/ 2 runs scored, while Wood and Whitehead added 2RBI each. The Diamond Bucs finished the day with 17 hits scoring 10 runs while extending their current winning streak to 7 games.

ECU 10 Campbell 9

ECU starter Brad Mincey took the hill in hopes of shutting down instate rival UNCW. Mincey went 5.1 strong innings (0 runs off 6 hits) improving his record to 4-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.69. Roller continues to roll, driving in the 1st run of the game with a 2 out single in the 1st. In his 2nd AB he ripped a leadoff double down the right field line and later scored off a Devin Harris RBI single. Recognizing Mincey’s dominance on the hill, Godwin seemed content playing small ball with the Seahawks using situational hitting and smart running on the base paths. Freshman Kevin Brandt relieved Mincey in the 6th working his way out of a 1 out bases loaded jam leaving all 3 Seahawks stranded. ECU used Mincey, Brandt and Maness to complete the 1st shutout of the season against the Seahawks (17-4). The Pirates win streak was also extended to 8 straight. ECU will hit the road this weekend heading to Charleston, WV for a 3 game set vs. conference rival Marshall.

ECU 3 UNC Wilmington 0

DH Kyle Roller was voted as National Player of the Week, C-USA Hitter of the Week and Central Regional Player of the Week. The junior hit .591 w/ 4HR, 15RBI, 2 walks & 5 hit by pitches last week.
ECU also set school and conference records for most runs scored in consecutive games with 52.

Record: 18-4

midweek sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 03-29-09, 02:59 PM

The Pirates take their 8 game winning streak on the road and travel to Charleston, WV for a 3 game series against conference rival Marshall. The Thundering Herd entered the weekend with a 2-1 record in conference play while the Pirates remain unbeaten in conference play at 3-0. The weather report has caused some concern as heavy rain is suspected to be in the area all weekend.

A decision was made to play 2 on Friday due to inclement weather in the area. Junior starter Chris Heston went in Game 1 for the Pirates. Marshall had some success at the plate against Heston scoring 5 runs (4 earned) off 9 hits in 6 innings of work. It seemed every time Marshall would try to create some separation ECU had an answer. The key exchange in the game started in the bottom of the 4th inning when Brandon Casamassima hit a 2-run shot to left giving the Herd a 4-2 lead. Stephen Batts answered that in the top of the 5th with a 3-run shot and the Pirates reclaimed the lead at 5-4. ECU was able to add some insurance runs in the 6th, getting key hits from Avchen and Wood pushing the lead to 7-4. The Herd tried to make a late charge but came up short in the end. Kyle Roller had his 7 game hit streak snapped despite the Pirates recording double digit hits for the 21st time in 23 games. The Diamond Bucs also extended their win streak to a season long 9 games.

ECU 7 Marshall 6

After a quick turnaround, Game 2 of the doubleheader was ready to get underway. ECU sent Seth Maness to the hill while Marshall countered with Dan Straily. With the looming weather in sight both sides could have been pressing at the plate in hopes of leading before the game was called due to rain. If that was the case Maness and Straily used that to their advantage as both pitchers had it going early. Maness only allowed 5 hits, with the big one being a solo shot to Victor Gomez, while Straily was equally impressive giving up 6 hits, 1 run and struck out a career high 8. The Pirates found themselves down 1-0 in the 7th when Avchen hit a 2 out single then later scored off Homan’s double that ricochet off the wall to tie the game at 1-1. Then the rain began to fall, leaving this game frozen at 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th. No games will be played on Saturday and questions are still up in the air if this game or Game 3 will be played on Sunday……
After another 35 minute rain delay the series was back underway Sunday Morning starting at 10am. Brad Mincey came on for the Pirates in the 7th, shutting down the Herd offense while improving his record to 5-1. A Devin Harris bloop single with 2 outs in the 8th scored Ryan Wood to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. ECU pushed across 3 more insurance runs in the 9th to seal the victory and extend the win steak to 10 games.

ECU 5 Marshall 1

Game 3 was started immediately after the completion of Game 2. ECU sent Kevin Brandt to the hill, his command was there early but then things slowly started to unravel. The Pirates took an early 2-0 lead in the 4th which didn’t last long as Marshall responded with a 5 run 4th. The big hit of the game was a Thor Meeks 3-run home run, while the Pirate offense was unable to ever get anything going at the plate. Marshall added another run in the 5th and increased their lead to 6-2 which was also the final. Kevin Brandt lost the 1st game of his young career dropping his record to 4-1. This also marked ECU 1st loss since March 13th and snapped the Pirates 10 game winning streak. The Pirates will be back in action Tuesday night when Elon visits Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU 2 Marshall 6

Record: 20-5

**head_strong** · 04-01-09, 09:09 PM

After posting a 4-1 week, ECU continues to move up in the polls sliding into the #16 spot (Baseball America). The Pirates return to the field Tuesday when instate rival Elon comes to town, this was a heated series last year so I expect both teams to be ready to play. The following day the Pirates will travel to Raleigh for a showdown against the hated Wolfpack which is always an entertaining matchup. To close out the week the Diamond Bucs will head to Birmingham for a 3 game set with UAB.

ECU didn’t waste much time jumping on the Phoenix by putting up 5 runs in the 1st inning, led by a Devin Harris 3-run blast. While Patrick Somers recorded the win, the Pirates used a total of 6 pitchers on the day to contain Elon’s offense. Dustin Harrington’s 3-run shot in the 5th pushed the Pirate lead to 9-1, followed by a solo shot from Stephen Batts had the Pirates sitting comfortably at 10-1. Ryan Wood belted a grand slam in the 7th inning to put the game out of reach and seal the victory for the Diamond Bucs. ECU hit 4 home runs on the day and reached the double digit hit mark for the 22nd time this season.

ECU 15 Elon 4

Brad Mincey got the start for the Pirates going 5 innings and allowing 2 runs on 7 hits. With the win, Mincey improves his record to a team best 6-1. ECU batted around in the 3rd inning using a pair of 3-run homers to jump out to an early 7-0 lead. Trent Whitehead hit the 1st shot to left field scoring Homan and Avchen. Devin Harris continues to swing a hot bat hitting the 2nd shot of the inning to left scoring Schieber and Roller. Whitehead then came up the following inning and hit his 2nd homer of the night, a 2-run shot to left increasing the Pirate lead to 9-0. After State scored a couple runs in the bottom of the 5th, ECU answered with 3 runs in the top of the 6th. With 2 outs and the bases loaded, Drew Schieber hit a triple to center clearing the bases, putting the Pirates back up double digits at 12-2. Once again ECU dominated this game from start to finish with the Wolfpuppies never standing a chance. After destroying the Pack, ECU remains unbeaten in the state and looks to keep things rolling heading to UAB this weekend.

ECU 14 NC State 4

Record: 22-5

midweek sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 04-05-09, 03:29 PM

#16 ECU will head to Birmingham, Alabama for a 3 game set with the UAB Blazers. Game 1 will be played Friday night at Young Memorial Field. Games 2 & 3 will be played on Saturday as part of a day/night doubleheader. UAB enters the series with a 16-10 record and features one of the most potent offenses in the conference which should make for an entertaining series.

Junior Chris Heston had all his pitches working at Young Memorial Field on Friday, striking out a career high 10 UAB hitters through 7 innings of work. Heston remains unbeaten on the year improving his record to 5-0. Stephen Batts came through with a key single in the 7th inning scoring Ryan Wood to break a 3-3 tie. With 1 out and a runner on second in the 8th, true freshman Patrick Somers struck out Digger Towe (C-USA’s 2nd best hitter) and Luke Stewart (reigning C-USA Hitter of the Week) in back-to-back plate appearances to end the Blazers threat. Kyle Roller gave the Pirates a little more breathing room in the 9th with a 2 out double scoring Whitehead and Wood. The ball was then passed to Seth Simmons as he was successful in recording his 4th save of the season. Billy Godwin also picked up his 400th win as a college coach.

ECU 6 UAB 3

Seth Maness took the hill for the Pirates in Game 1 of the doubleheader. ECU came out swinging putting up a 7 spot in the 1st inning, taking some pressure off Maness. Maness lasted 5.1 innings giving up 5 earned runs on 9 hits, improving his record to 3-0. UAB chipped away at the Pirate lead pulling within 2 (10-8) in the 7th inning. ECU responded with a 5 run 9th inning to squash any hopes of a Blazer comeback. Key contributors for the Diamond Bucs were Austin Homan 3-3 (2RBI, 2 runs, 2 doubles), Kyle Roller 2-4 (2RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks), Stephen Batts 1-3 (3 runs, 3 walks), Ryan Wood 2-5 (2RBI, 3 runs), Trent Whitehead 2-5 (1RBI, 2 runs).

ECU 15 UAB 9

Brad Mincey continues his dominance on the hill, working 3 1/3 innings of relief he surrendered just 1 run on 4 hits. Mincey (7-1) picked up his 7th win on the season which leads the conference. Batts, Schieber and Harrington carried the offensive load, combining to go 6-14 (2HR, 5RBI, 2 doubles and 4 runs). Seth Simmons picked up his 5th save of the season in the 9th striking out 2 batters in 0.2 innings. The Pirates improved to 8-1 in the conference and remain 1 game ahead of #2 Rice. The up incoming week will be a true test for the Diamond Bucs with games @ #5 UNC, @ #20 UNCW then a 3 game home stand vs. #2 Rice.

ECU 10 UAB 9

Record: 25-5

sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 04-09-09, 03:15 AM

Coming off another perfect 5-0 week, ECU will enter arguably their toughest stretch of the season. The 14th ranked Pirates will travel down the road to Chapel Hill for a showdown vs. the #2 ranked North Carolina Tarheels. The following day ECU will head to the coast for a rematch with the #20 UNCW Seahawks. For the weekend series, the Pirates will return home to the friendly confines for a 3 game set vs. #1 Rice. It will be interesting to see how Coach Billy Godwin decides to approach this week. I know he wants to win them all, but will he keep his rotation intact for this weekend’s series or have everyone available for these important instate match-ups.

Godwin decided to give the ball to true freshman Patrick Somers, who made his first collegiate start. While that probably wouldn’t have been my choice, Somers actually threw a decent game getting very little help from his offense or defense. Somers lasted 6 innings, only allowing 5 hits, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts (2 unearned runs). With 2 outs in the 3rd inning, Devin Harris dropped a routine fly ball allowing Garrett Gore to plate the 1st run of the game for the Heels. UNC pitcher Patrick Johnson really caused problems for the normally potent Diamond Buc offense, the sophomore tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing just 1 hit, 3 walks and a career high 11 strikeouts. Despite Johnson’s performance, the Pirates still found themselves in a position to possibly tie/win the game in the 9th inning. The Pirates had 2 on and 0 out in the 9th, when Dustin Arrington singled to center putting ECU on the board (3-1), Cam Freeman thought the ball was going to be caught and froze getting thrown out at 2nd on the base hit. The Pirates still had runners on the corners with 1 out when Trent Whitehead hit a slow grounder to short for a game ending double play. ECU committed a season high 4 errors contributing to all 3 of UNC’s runs which were unearned, you can’t play the #2 team in the nation on the road and expect to win with that type of performance. With the win, UNC improves to 25-7 on the season while the Pirates drop to 25-6.

ECU 1 UNC 3

The Seahawks were focused and ready to avenge the loss they suffered in Greenville a couple weeks back. Once again ECU found themselves in an early hole, second baseman Ryan Wood committed a fielding error allowing UNCW to get off to an early 2-0 lead. The Pirates responded in the following frame, stringing together 4 hits and plating 2 runs to tie the game at 2-2. The 4th inning was not kind to the Diamond Bucs, after a lead-off HR, Wilmington proceeded to bat around scoring a total of 5 runs in the inning to take a 7-2 lead. ECU could never get the key hit to get back in this game, leaving 15 runners on base. The Pirates actually out hit the Seahawks 14 to 8 but 5 walks and 2 costly errors was too much to overcome. ECU dropped consecutive games for only the 2nd time this season and now they have put themselves in a tough spot entering this weekend’s conference showdown with #1 Rice.

ECU 3 UNC Wilmington 8

Record: 25-7

**head_strong** · 04-12-09, 06:24 PM

After dropping both midweek contests, ECU hopes to avoid their longest losing streak of the season (3 games) when conference powerhouse Rice comes to Clark-LeClair Stadium for a 3 game set. The Pirates will enter the weekend series 1 game ahead of the #1 nationally ranked Owls in the conference standings. Both teams have quality pitching and plenty of hitting which should make for an entertaining series.

Speechless…..Pirates were up 7-0 after the 2nd inning, up 11-4 entering the 6th inning, then Rice scores 11 unanswered and takes Game 1.

ECU 11 Rice 15

Preseason C-USA Pitcher of the Year Seth Maness went the distance only surrendering 3 hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts. The only run that Rice scored on the day was unearned, due to a throwing error in the 2nd inning by second baseman Ryan Wood. Stephen Batts carried the offense going 2-4 w/ a HR, recording his 71st career multi-hit game. ECU snapped their 3 game losing streak as well as Rice’s 9 game winning streak to reclaim 1st place in the conference standings. The Pirates improved to 9-2 in conference play while Rice dropped to 8-3.

ECU 4 Rice 1

Brad Mincey dropped his record to 7-2 after going 5 2/3 innings and giving up 4 runs. Rice was up 5-1 entering the 8th inning when Devin Harris hit a 3 run shot to left field, cutting the Owls lead to 5-4. ECU had another opportunity in the 9th, with 2 on and 2 out Brandon Henderson hit a line drive to right but was caught for the final out of the game.

ECU 4 Rice 5

Record: 26-9

**head_strong** · 04-15-09, 11:53 PM

Despite a disappointing 1-4 week, the Pirates only dropped down to the #17 spot in the national rankings. ECU looks to get things back on track this week with a pair of midweek home games against Campbell and NC State. The weekend series will feature the Pirates traveling down to The Big Easy for a 3 game set with the Tulane Green Wave.

The Pirates appeared to be suffering from a slight hangover after not living up to the high expectations from the previous week contests. The Camels took advantage of the Pirates sluggish start and jumped out to a big lead early. Michael Anderson was only able to last 1 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 6 hits. ECU chipped away at the lead and managed to close the gap to 12-7 in the 7th inning before encountering a 35 minute rain delay. The rain didn’t stay away long resurfacing again in the 8th inning, forcing the game to be called final with the Camels taking the win. Despite a 4 hit performance from Trent Whitehead and 2 home runs from Dustin Harrington ECU was unable overcome the slow start. The Diamond Bucs will be back in action tomorrow in hopes of completing the season sweep of instate rival NC State.

ECU 8 Campbell 12

ECU freshman starter Kevin Brandt improved his record to 5-1 on the season pitching 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Brandt only allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 in one of his better performances on the year. Bailey Daniels made an appearance in the 8th, while Seth Simmons struck out the side in the 9th to seal the deal. Dustin Harrington continues to swing a hot bat going 3-4, while Wood, Schieber and Henderson each went 2-4 carrying the offensive load for the Pirates. A crowd of nearly 5,000 was on hand at CLC to watch the Pirates complete the season sweep of the hated Wolfpack. ECU will head to New Orleans this weekend for a series against conference foe Tulane.
ECU 7 NC State 0

Record: 27-10

**head_strong** · 04-19-09, 04:31 PM

ECU Pirates @ Tulane Green Wave (Greer Field inside Turchin Stadium)

Game 1

ECU 4 Tulane 7

Game 2

ECU 12 Tulane 5

Game 3

ECU 3 Tulane 4

Record: 28-12 Conference: 10-5

**head_strong** · 04-22-09, 07:59 PM

4-21

ECU Pirates vs Elon Phoenix (Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium)

DH Kyle Roller goes 3-6 (1HR, 4RBI, 2 Runs) and the game winning RBI in the 9th.

ECU 10 Elon 9

4-22

ECU Pirates vs North Carolina Tar Heels (Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium)

The Pirates drew blood first with a Ryan Wood solo shot to left field in the 6th inning. ECU pushed across 3 more runs in the 7th to increase their lead to 4-0. Freshman starter Kevin Brandt possibly had the best outing out of any Diamond Buc all season. Brandt completely shut down the Heels offense going 8.1 innings, allowing 0 runs, 10 strikeouts, 1 walk and just 5 hits. With the win, Brandt improved his record to 6-1 helping the Pirates split the season series with the highly ranked Heels.

ECU 4 UNC 0

Record: 30-12 Conference: 10-5

midweek sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 04-25-09, 10:00 PM

ECU Pirates vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium)

Game 1

Chris Heston improved his record to 6-0 while Seth Simmons collected his 7th save.

ECU 7 Southern Miss 6

Game 2

Seth Maness improved his record to 6-0. Trent Whitehead, Drew Schieber, Stephen Batts and Kyle Roller all went deep to power the Diamond Bucs offense.

ECU 13 Southern Miss 5

Game 3

Golden Eagles pitcher Todd McInnis shutdown the Pirates offense, the sophomore went 7.2 innings only allowing 2 hits and 0 runs. Although ECU pitchers combined to only surrender 6 hits, a costly error and a solo home run was all USM needed to get the win.

ECU 1 Southern Miss 2

Record: 32-13 Conference: 12-6

**head_strong** · 04-28-09, 10:30 PM

4-28

ECU Pirates @ Elon Phoenix (Latham Park)

ECU was unable to overcome a 6 run 3rd inning from the Phoenix powered by a Mike Melillo grand slam. The Pirates still won the season series taking 2 of 3 from Elon (29-13).

ECU 8 Elon 10

Record: 32-14 Conference: 12-6

**head_strong** · 05-03-09, 06:24 PM

ECU Pirates vs Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium)

Game 1

Chris Heston improved his record to 7-0, throwing 8 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 11.

ECU 7 ULL 1

Game 2

Seth Maness improved his record to 7-0, allowing just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. Seth Simmons picked up his 8th save of the season.

ECU 3 ULL 1

Game 3

Brad Mincey (8-4) recorded the win going 7 innings while striking out 7. Kevin Brandt came on in relief extending his scoreless innings pitched streak to 21 2/3 innings. Stephen Batts went 2-4 w/ 3RBI and Ryan Wood went 2-4 w/ a HR and 2RBI.

ECU 9 ULL 4

Record: 35-14 Conference: 12-6

sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 05-10-09, 04:36 PM

ECU Pirates @ Houston Cougars (Cougar Field)

Game 1

With the game tied 4-4 in the 7th, Dustin Harrington committed his 2nd error of the game to start the inning which proved to be costly. Kelso who reached on the error, later scored with 2 outs on a wild pitch which turned out to be the game winning run.

ECU 4 Houston 5

Game 2

Seth Maness improved his record to 8-0, allowing 2 runs off 5 hits in 7 innings. Ryan Wood and Stephen Batts combined for 7RBI on the night.

ECU 12 Houston 2

Game 3

Kevin Brandt takes his record to 7-1 on the year picking up the win. Ryan Wood powered the offense going 4-5 w/ 2HR and 4RBI. Stephen Batts (2-4), Brandon Henderson (3-5) and Devin Harris (1-4) also went deep, combining for 5 long balls on the afternoon. ECU remains in 2nd place, 1 game behind Rice entering the last week of conference play.

ECU 13 Houston 6

Record: 37-15 Conference: 14-7

**head_strong** · 05-13-09, 05:57 AM

ECU Pirates @ UNC-Wilmington (Brooks Field)

Ryan Wood continues to carry the East Carolina offense going 4-6 while hitting for the cycle. Wood hit a HR in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, tripled in the 4th, then doubled in the 5th. The last Pirate to accomplish this feat was Billy Richardson in 2005. ECU also continued it’s dominance against in-state schools winning season series against UNCW, Elon, NC State, UNC Asheville and splitting with UNC (1-1).

ECU 12 UNCW 5

Record: 38-15 Conference: 14-7

**head_strong** · 05-16-09, 06:28 PM

ECU Pirates vs Memphis Tigers (Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium)

Game 1

Trent Whitehead went 4-5 w/ a HR and 4 RBIs igniting the ECU offense. After being shutout the first 6 innings, the Pirates put 4 runs on the board in the 7th, then 5 more runs in the 8th to blow the game wide open. Due to UAB beating Rice, ECU moved into a tie for 1st in the conference with 2 games to go.

ECU 9 Memphis 4

Game 2

Seth Maness improved his record to 9-0, allowing just 1 run off 6 hits in 7 innings of work while striking out 9. Brandon Henderson, Stephen Batts and Drew Schieber each hit a home run carrying the offense.

ECU 9 Memphis 1

Game 3

Senior Day: Brad Mincey picked up the win (9-4) throwing 5 shutout innings while allowing just 5 hits and striking out 4. Wood, Batts and Henderson combined for 8 RBIs on the afternoon.

ECU 13 Memphis 2

SENIORS

Ryan Wood

Stephen Batts

Brandon Henderson

Drew Schieber

Bailey Daniels

Trent Ashcraft

Britton Cole

Record: 41-15 Conference: 17-7

sweeeeeeeeeeep!

**head_strong** · 05-16-09, 06:37 PM

2009 C-USA REGULAR SEASON BASEBALL CHAMPIONS

**head_strong** · 05-26-09, 04:37 PM

PETE TAYLOR PARK

Round 1

#1 ECU Pirates vs #8 Central Florida
Kevin Brandt came on in relief to pick up the win, improving his record to 8-1. Seth Simmons earned his 9th save pitching the final 1 2/3 innings. 1st team all-conference standout Stephen Batts carried the offense going 3-4 w/ a HR and 3RBIs. Jared Avchen hit a key 2-run double in the 7th to give the Pirates the lead, which they never relinquished. ECU will now await the winner of Tulane-Southern Miss.

ECU 6 Central Florida 3

Round 2

#1 ECU Pirates vs #5 Southern Miss
With the game tied at 2-2 in the 8th the Golden Eagles used timely hitting to score 3 runs and hold off the Pirates. Joey Archer’s 2 out 2-run single sealed the deal for Southern Miss as they will remain in the winners bracket and ECU faces an elimination game.

ECU 2 Southern Miss 5

Round 3

#1 ECU Pirates vs #4 Tulane
This marks the 1st time ECU has been shutout since April 21, 2007 against North Carolina, a span of 143 games. ECU was also eliminated from the tournament and will now have to wait for the NCAA Selection Committee to see where they fit in the field of 64.

ECU 0 Tulane 3

Record: 42-17

**head_strong** · 05-27-09, 08:10 PM

**head_strong** · 06-01-09, 11:58 PM

2009College World Series

Greenville, North Carolina Regional

#1 East Carolina Pirates #2 South Carolina Gamecocks #3 George Mason Patriots #4 Binghamton Bearcats

***OPENING ROUND***

#1 ECU Pirates vs #4 Binghamton Bearcats
ECU’s 1st game was rained out putting them in an awkward position before ever hitting the field. The Pirates were now forced into a doubleheader while South Carolina rested and waited for the winner to play the afternoon game in the Winners Bracket. The Pirates managed to jump on the Bearcats early getting off to an early 11-2 lead. Binghamton refused to go away and rallied back to cut the lead to 11-7 but wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit. Bailey Daniels picked up the win in relief while Dustin Harrington led the offense with 3 RBI. ECU will play South Carolina in the Winners Bracket, a team they have struggled mightily against going 4-16 in the last 20 meetings. George Mason will play Binghamton in the Elimination Game.

ECU 11 Binghamton 7

***WINNERS BRACKET***

#1 ECU Pirates vs #2 South Carolina Gamecocks
After a quick turnaround ECU sent Seth Maness (9-1) to hill to try and slow down the Gamecock bats. Maness was not very successful in his attempt, surrendering 6 runs on 11 hits, while the Pirate defense made some costly errors not helping the cause. While USC managed to get key hits with runners on, ECU left the bases loaded in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings without recording a single run. Despite doubling up the Gamecocks in hits, ECU still trailed 2-0 entering the 6th when Justin Dalles hit a 2-run shot to left to extend the South Carolina lead to 4-0. While the Pirate offense was unable to ever get anything going S. Carolina poured on 6 more runs in the final 2 innings putting the game out of reach. 4,595 showed up at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium which was the 8th largest crowd in program history. While South Carolina will take the role of spectator once again, ECU will face Binghamton in a rematch, loser goes home.

ECU 2 South Carolina 12

***ELIMINATION GAME***

#1 ECU Pirates vs #4 Binghamton Bearcats
Facing elimination, ECU found their backs up against the wall trailing 7-3 entering the top of the 5th inning. The Diamond Bucs would not go quietly and refused to disappoint the home crowd, exploding for 8 runs in the 5th inning with Kyle Roller leading the charge hitting 2 homers in the frame, while finishing the day 4-5 2HR w/ 4RBI. ECU would not look back putting 5 more runs on the board in the final innings to send the Bearcats back to New York. Brad Mincey recorded his 10th win of the season despite a rough start. The Pirates will have another 45 minute turnaround before playing their 2nd doubleheader in as many days.

ECU 16 Binghamton 9

***ELMINATION GAME (ECU)***

#1 ECU Pirates vs #2 South Carolina Gamecocks
The sensational freshman Kevin Brandt (9-1) got the ball in a must win game for the Diamond Bucs and he would not disappoint. Brandt pitched 6 shutout innings before surrendering 2 runs in the 7th then 2 in the 9th going 8.1 innings. Brandt had a stretch where he retired 11 straight batters from the 2nd to the 6th inning. Kyle Roller picked up right where he left off in the early game hitting a 3-run shot to right center in the 1st inning to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead which they would never relinquish. After a solo shot from Dustin Harrington in the 4th, Brandon Henderson added a Grand Slam in the 7th inning to extend the Pirates lead to 8-0. The Gamecock bats finally came to life in the 9th inning making the game interesting before Seth Simmons closed the door recording the final 2 outs of the game. Tomorrow’s winner advances to Chapel Hill to take on the #4 nationally ranked UNC Tar Heels in the Super Regional for the right to go to Omaha.

ECU 8 South Carolina 6

***CHAMPIONSHIP GAME***

#1 ECU Pirates vs #2 South Carolina Gamecocks
Patrick Somers got the start for the Pirates not even lasting 3 innings, giving up 3 runs while having no command of his pitches. Chris Heston made a brief appearance (0.1 innings) getting ripped for 3 runs and the Pirates quickly found themselves down 6-0 after 3 innings. Bailey Daniels followed up going 2.2 innings and surrendering 1 run. The Pirate bats finally woke up in the bottom of the 5th inning when Ryan Wood hit a 2-run shot to left field to put the Pirates on the board (6-2). SC tacked on 1run in the 6th and ECU answered with 2 in the bottom half of the inning (7-3). Harrington and Harris each drove in a run in the 7th to cut the Gamecock lead and give the Pirates a fighting chance (7-6). SC right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. appeared to give the Gamecocks enough insurance runs with a 2-run shot to right in the 8th inning pushing the SC lead back to 3 (9-6). Entering the bottom of the 9th the Diamond Bucs refused to lose, after a leadoff walk from Henderson followed by a walk to Harrington the Pirates brought the game tying run to the plate. Devin Harris took the 2nd pitch he saw from Curtis Johnson deep left field for a 3-run blast and tied the game at 9-9! Harris’s unbelievable night didn’t stop there, in the bottom of the 10th Harris came to the plate again with 2 on and 2 out and drove a single up the middle scoring Kyle Roller for the game winning run and gave the Pirates a 10-9 win and the Regional Championship. Harris finished the day 4-5 w/ 1HR, 5RBI, 2R & 1BB. Waiting the arrival of the ECU Pirates will be the #4 nationally ranked UNC Tar Heels who looked very impressive this weekend in their regional, taking care of Dartmouth 5-2, then destroying Coastal Carolina 14-5 and closed out the perfect week by hammering Kansas 12-1. ECU and UNC met twice this year with each team defending their home field splitting the season series (1-1). ECU Greenville, North Carolina Regional Champions!

ECU 10 South Carolina 9

RECORD: 46-18

**head_strong** · 06-02-09, 12:08 AM

***2009 NCAA GREENVILLE REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM***

Most Outstanding Player: OF-Trent Whitehead

IF-Brandon Henderson

IF-Ryan Wood

OF-Trent Whitehead

DH-Kyle Roller

P-Kevin Brandt

**head_strong** · 06-06-09, 01:42 AM

SUPER REGIONAL-Chapel Hill, North Carolina-(Boshamer Stadium)

#1 East Carolina Pirates @ #1 North Carolina Tar Heels (#4 National Seed)

PREVIEW:

#14 ECU (46-18) C-USA Record (17-7) @ #5 UNC (45-16) ACC Record (19-10)
Regular Season Series: (1-1)
4/07/09 @ Chapel Hill ECU 1 UNC 3 Winning Pitcher: Patrick Johnson
4/22/09 @ Greenville ECU 4 UNC 0 Winning Pitcher: Kevin Brandt
UNC Regional (3-0): Dartmouth (5-2) Coastal Carolina (14-5) Kansas (12-1)
ECU Regional (4-1): Binghamton (11-7) South Carolina (2-12) Binghamton (16-9) South Carolina (8-6) South Carolina (10-9)

TEAM STATS:

Batting Avg ECU .341 > UNC .307
Hits Per Game ECU 12.4 > UNC 10.8
Runs Per Game ECU 8.8 > UNC 7.3
RBI Per Game ECU 8.1 > UNC 6.7
HR Per Game ECU 1.7 > UNC 1.1
Slugging % ECU .552 > UNC .477
On Base % ECU .418 > UNC .400
Team ERA ECU 4.36 < UNC 3.66

Key Players:

Ryan Wood ECU 2B: Avg.383/HR-14/RBI-57/Hits-98/Runs-86/BB-50/SB-14/2B-22/3B-1
Dustin Ackley UNC 1B: Avg.421/HR-22/RBI-68/Hits-104/Runs-75/BB-50/SB-13/2B-18/3B-4

Coaching Matchup:

Billy Godwin ECU 5th Season (2009 C-USA Coach of the Year)
Mike Fox UNC 10th Season

**The General** · 06-06-09, 05:04 AM

Nice thread, head strong

**head_strong** · 06-06-09, 02:12 PM

Originally posted by The General

Nice thread, head strong

Thanks General

**head_strong** · 06-07-09, 03:31 PM

2009 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

SUPER REGIONAL-Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium)

#1 East Carolina Pirates @ #1 North Carolina Tar Heels (#4 National Seed)

***GAME 1***
Seth Maness (9-2) 4.41 ERA vs Alex White (7-4) 4.42 ERA
ECU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a Brandon Henderson solo shot to left in the 2nd inning. The Heels reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning using a 1 out bloop double from Cavasinni, later scoring off a Baldwin single. Kyle Seager singled home Bunting plating the 2nd run of the inning (2-1). The 6th inning was a game changer, while the Pirates managed to get their 1st 2 hitters of the inning on base and failed to score, UNC took advantage of their base runners. After the Tar Heels scored 2 runs off 3 consecutive hits, 2nd baseman Ryan Wood made a costly error extending the inning, that later lead to 4 more unearned UNC runs. The Pirates were unable to catch up with Alex White’s fastball, as he recorded a career high 12 strikeouts. The Diamond Bucs forte all season had been 2 out RBIs, in today’s game they stranded base runner after base runner and were unable to come up with a key hit and apply pressure to the Heels. On the day the Pirates were 3-16 with runners on base and 0-7 with runners in scoring position. Once again the Pirates find themselves in a must win game and on the brink of elimination. They’ve seemed to play their best ball with their backs against the wall and they will have to tomorrow, to survive and force a Game 3.

ECU 1 UNC 10

***GAME 2***
Kevin Brandt (9-1) 3.52 ERA vs Adam Warren (8-2) 3.19 ERA
The 6th inning plagued the Pirates all weekend. While Brandt kept ECU in striking distance going 5 innings and surrendering just 2 runs, Mincey and Simmons combined to give up 5 runs in the 6th inning alone. The big blow came from UNC’s all-time hit leader and likely 2nd overall draft pick Dustin Ackley, a 3 run shot to left field all but sealed the deal for the Heels. Adam Warren picked up the win, taking his impressive career record to 31-4. The Pirates were simply overmatched and the team that lived off 2 out RBI’s and scored close to 600 runs during the season went cold at the wrong time. The Pirates will lose some key players but will also return some promising talent and a strong recruiting class; hopefully they can build off this experience and make another strong run next year. With Brandt, Maness, Mincey, Somers, Simmons and Tyler Joyner (who is considered the best left handed recruit in the state), the Pirates will be able to out pitch teams instead of being forced to out hit them.

ECU 3 UNC 9

RECORD: 46-20

ECU BASEBALL ‘09