ECU Takes Game One At Charleston | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of ECU Sports.



    East Carolina captured game one of a weekend series at College of Charleston Saturday, March 19 at Patriot Points Ballpark. The game, which was suspended Friday due to rain and field conditions, picked back up today at 1 p.m. with the Pirates winning 8-5. With the win the Pirates improved to 10-8 on the season, while the Cougars fell to 10-8.

    The Pirates broke a scoreless tie in the third inning taking an early 1-0 lead. Ben Newton and Ryder Giles both started the frame after being hit by a Good pitch before Bryson Worrell flew out to shortstop in foul territory and doubled up Newton trying to advance to third. Lane Hoover and Jacob Jenkins-Cowart both drew walks and Hoover darted home on a passed ball accounting for the lone run.

    College of Charleston needed just two of its three hits in the third inning to tie the game at one-all. Tanner McCallister doubled down the left field line with one out and scored on Sam Cochrane's single back up the middle.

    ECU responded with two in the fourth re-taking the lead by two, 3-1. Zach Agnos was hit by a pitch to begin the stanza and scored when Cam Clonch singled to center which was coupled by a Cochrane fielding error. With Clonch standing on third, Newton dropped down a sac bunt back to the pitcher's mound pushing across the second run.

    Consecutive hits by the Cougars in the bottom of the fourth pulled the club within one, 3-2. Landon Choboy doubled down the third base line before scoring on Tanner Steffy's base knock to left center.

    Back-to-back home runs by Jenkins-Cowart and Alec Mackarewicz highlighted the Pirates three-run fifth inning. Bryson Worrell led off with a single can came around to score when Jenkins-Cowart blasted a two-run shot to right field, his second of the season, on a change-up from Good. Makarewicz followed with a solo blast, also to right field, for his team-leading fourth homer on a fastball from Good.

    Once play resumed with Donald Hansis on third and Cochrane on first, Mayhue delivered a 1-1 offering to Trotter Harlan, who smacked his second home run of the season pulling College of Charleston within one, 6-5, in the bottom of the seventh.

    The Pirates scored two runs in the ninth with one coming on Clonch's fourth hit of the game and Carter Cunningham's sac fly to center capping the scoring at 8-5.

    Jacob Kuchmaner (2-1) allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts in five-plus innings. Garrett Saylor entered the contest with a runner on first spelling Kuchmaner in the sixth and immediately walked Choby. But the right-hander settled down striking out the side before he was lifted in the seventh with two one for C.J. Mayhue. Saylor allowed two runs (one earned) while walking two and fanning three in one inning. Mayhue allowed one run (earned) on one hit in one-third of an inning before passing the ball to Carter Spivey, who picked up his first save of the season tossing 2.2 scoreless inning with four strikeouts.

    Ty Good (2-2) was touched for six runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of punch outs and four strikeouts over 4.1 frames. Zach Williams gave up four hits over 1.2 scoreless innings before Ryan Smith took the mound in the seventh. CofC would use three pitchers in relief getting work from Zach Williams (1.2 IP, 4 Hs), Ryan Smith (1.0 IP, 1 H), Reed Parris (2.0, 3 Hs, 2 Rs).

    Clonch tallied a career-high four hits, while Agnos (two) and Makarewicz (three) also had multiple base knocks in the game.