ECU Wins Its Ninth Straight 12-7 Over the College of Charleston
PirateIllustrated.com photo
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Eric Tyler smacked a home run, T.J. Riles homered, Travis Watkins had three hits and two runs and Spencer Brickhouse had two hits and three runs including a two-run moon shot in the eighth to lead (8)ECU to a 12-7 win over the College of Charleston Tuesday night at the Ballpark at Patriots Point.
It was ECU’s ninth straight victory in the four plus hour contest to move to 9-3. The Pirates had 15 hits in the win. Sam Lanier picked up his second win against one defeat for the Pirates while with the loss, Tucker White falls to 1-1 for the College of Charleston who with the loss fell to 7-5 on the season.
“Coach Godwin and myself have been working very hard the last couple of days on my swing, getting it to feel better so all of those hours in the cage are starting to pay off,” Tyler said after the game, “We’re just trying to run this hot streak as far as we can.”
For ECU head coach Cliff Godwin, it was another day at the office and he was happy to pick up the team’s ninth straight victory against just three losses. Charleston went through six pitchers while the Pirates used five in an offensive show for both teams.
“It was one of those nights when both offenses were very good and it was really tough to put up zeros for either side,” Godwin said, “It puts a strain on your offense but you’ve got to learn how to win all types of games and tonight was an offensive night. T.J. Riles had a huge game. He had a big home run, Brickhouse had a big home run late and an RBI, so we fought to the end and it took a lot of our pitchers but we’ll still have some guys ready to go tomorrow.”
The Cougars got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when Dupree Hart scored off a Chris Holba wide pitch for a 1-0 lead.
Eric Tyler struck back for the Pirates in the top of the second stanza when he homered to left center off of Tucker White to even the score at 1-1.
Charleston scored again when Bradley Dixon’s double down the left field line brought Logan McRae across home plate. Erven Roper singled and advanced to second base on a Bryant Packard throwing error and then wound up at third. Dixon scored before a Tommy Richter double to center scored Roper for a 4-1 lead.
Turner Brown’s sac fly allowed ECU’s T.J Riles to score in the top of the third. Then Travis Watkins singled to left field and was thrown out at second base, but Charlie Yorgan scored and suddenly the Charleston lead was cut to one at 4-3.
Packard’s single up the middle in the fourth frame, advancing Spencer Brickhouse to third base. Then Packard wound up safe at second base. Kirk Morgan’s sac fly allowed Brickhouse to score to tie the game at 4-4.
ECU took the lead on a T.J. Riles home run shot to right field that scored Packard to give the Pirates their first lead of the game at 6-4.
Richter singled in the bottom of the fourth scoring Roper to trim the ECU lead to 6-5.
ECU put up a three spot in the seventh inning. With Bolka and Watkins on base for ECU, Brickhouse’s RBI chopper off of sidearm Charleston reliever Justin Baker scored Travis Watkins. Bolka scored on a double steal. Then Tyler’s one out double down the right field line drove in his second run of the night bringing Brickhouse home to make it 9-5 Pirates.
Erven Roper singled into left center for Charleston scoring Danny Wondrack before leaving two stranded in the bottom of the seventh in a 9-6 ballgame.
ECU chased Charleston pitcher Will Detwiler out of the game when Watkins advanced Brown to third on an RBI to center in the eighth and Brown scampered home to make it 10-6. Spencer Brickhouse added a two run shot for a 12-6 lead.
An RBI single for Dickson up the middle scored Wondrack for a run for Charleston before a 6-3 double-play ended it in the bottom of the ninth for ECU.
The two teams will tee it up again for game two of the two-game set in Charleston Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
