2008 Woodie Awards
ECU stumbles in first conference series
Pirates hope to rebound in Florida
Hart Holloman
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Sports
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Houston took game one Friday night, but the Pirates bounced back to take game two on Saturday in dominating fashion before narrowly losing in the finale on Sunday.
With their spirits high from the previous days' exploits, the Pirates took the field on Easter Sunday hoping to take the rubber match and finish the weekend above .500 in the conference. But it was not to be, as they never seemed to quite get in the groove against the Cougars' pitchers.
The Pirates were already down by five before recording their first hit and run of the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, ECU managed to tie the game at five as Houston pitchers walked in three runners and the Pirates put two more across with base hits.
ECU starter Justin Bristow had battled through five innings and ECU coach Billy Godwin sent him back out to start the sixth. That proved to be one too many for Bristow when the first batter of the inning took him deep to left for what would end up being the winning run.
Houston would get one more run in the sixth and another in the seventh while the Pirates were unable to match and the final score read 8-5.
After the game Godwin was disappointed with the teams all around play, especially defensively.
"We got down early and we came back, but defensively we gave away too many runs," he said. "That can't happen in conference series against a good opponent."
He was however optimistic about his teams chances of bouncing back.
"We're a good offensive team and we know that." Godwin said. "We can put runs on the board but we put too much pressure on the offense and we just have to go out and make plays defensively."
The Pirates were riding a 13-game win streak as they welcomed conference foe Houston to town. The fist game saw Houston knock around the Pirate pitchers for 14 runs on 16 hits. ECU's starting pitcher, T.J. Hose, lasted only two innings and gave up four runs on five hits before he was replaced in the third by Brad Mincey. Mincey didn't fare much better against the potent Cougars' lineup, as he gave up seven runs on eight hits in his three innings of work. Dainel Holder came on in the sixth to stop the bleeding but the damage was done and the game was all but over as Houston put three more across in the last four frames.
ECU's bats were kept fairly quiet by Houston on Friday as starter Wes Musick gave up two runs and scattered six hits in his 6 1/3 innnings of work. Drew Schieber managed a solo home run and Jamie Ray scored on Ryan Wood's ground out to short. After that Musick was pulled for reliever Chase Dempsay, who only allowed one more hit in the final 2 1/3 innings.
Saturday's game saw the Pirate's bats wake up.
ECU scored early and often, and put five runs on the board in three separate innings as it cruised to a 15-4 victory. Corey Kemp tied a school record with three home runs, all solo shots, a feat last accomplished in 1999.
Kemp said that he had hit two home runs in a game a couple of times, but his three home run performance on Saturday was the first of the senior's career.
The Pirates wasted no time in getting to Houston starter Ty Stuckey after Friday's loss. With two on and one out Brandon Henderson hit a shot that just cleared the right field fence. Kemp followed with his first home run of the day and after a Kyle Roller groundout, Dustin Harrington took Stuckey deep down the right field line. ECU starter Seth Maness pitched well through the fifth, only allowing two runs. But he ran into trouble in the sixth and gave up two more before Josh Ruhlman was brought on in relief. Ruhlman closed out the inning with the Cougars trailing by one.
In the bottom of the sixth the Pirates got rolling again. They hit back-to-back home runs for the second time to open the inning. Kemp hit his second of the day and Roller followed with a monster blast well over the right field fence. The Pirates put three more across before Henderson flied out to end the inning.
Rulman then retired three straight in the top of the seventh before the Pirates got the bats rolling again in the bottom half of the frame.
Kemp again led off the inning for his record-tying third home run of the game.
"I was seeing the ball well today and I think that helped a lot," Kemp said. "I got some pitches that were probably mistake pitches that were up in the zone and I was able to capitalize. I think the day speaks for itself."
The Pirates scored four more runs on five more hits before Roller flied out to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Bailey Daniels came on in the ninth to close out the game and the Pirates celebrated their first conference victory of the season.
Saturday's dominating win showed just how explosive ECU's offense can be, but the Pirates will have to play better in all three phases the rest of the conference play to avenge for the conference-opening series loss.
ECU will travel to Florida this weekend in another conference series, this time against UCF, before returning home to face in-state rival NC State on April 1.
This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com
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