Big eighth inning lift East Carolina

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 25, 2007 2:16 AM

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GREENVILLE -- East Carolina used a five-run eighth inning to pick up its second win of the ECU Invitational Saturday afternoon in a 6-3 win over Washington.

The Pirates (4-5) trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth frame where they were successful in placing the first eight batters of the inning on base safely. Pinch hitter Drew Schieber got the ralley going with a single to right field, which was followed by another single by Harrison Eldridge and infield single by Dale Mollenhauer to load the bases. Stephen Batts drove in the tying runs with a double to right-center that scored Schieber and Eldridge knotting the game at 3.

With Batts on second and Jake Dean sitting on first after an intentional pass, senior Ryan Tousley picked up his second hit of the night with a single through the right side to put the Pirates up for good at 5-3. Jamie Ray finished off the scoring with a single to center that scored Tousley to cap the game a 6-3.

Mike Flye picked up his first win of the season after working 32/3 innings in relief allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. Pirate starter Dustin Sasser gave up two runs on six hits in 41/3 innings while fanning four Huskie batters. Shane Mathews worked a scoreless ninth inning striking out two while picking up his second save of the year.

Washington (0-5) starter Nick Haughian kept the Pirates in check through six full innings, but surrendered four runs in the seventh before being relieved by Elliot Cribby. Haughian (0-1) gave up seven hits on the afternoon, struck out six and walked one.

Washington scored the two runs in the top of the first when Danny Cox singled to right field scoring Michael Burgher from second, who reached on an error by second baseman Ryan Wood. The Huskies picked up their second run when Kyle Conley singled to left plating Cox for a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Huskies added another run pushing their lead to 3-0. With one out, Bradley Boyer laced a double down the left field line, advanced to third on Burgher's ground out to first and then scored on a Mike Flye wild pitch.

ECU finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ryan Tousley and Corey Kemp hit back-to-back doubles to right field with one out cutting into the Huskies lead, 3-1.

The Pirates will close out the tournament this morning at 10 a.m. when they play host to Duke.