ECU's Wooten, Wright each slug homer
By ECU Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 24, 2010 1:46 PM
ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE -- Wayne County natives John Wooten and Zach Wright, and Kyle Roller each clubbed a home run as No. 13-ranked East Carolina dispatched Old Dominion 11-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
Wooten's two-strike homer, his third of the season, ignited a three-run second inning. Wright added a two-run, eighth-inning homer for the Pirates, who improved to 2-2 overall this season.
Zach Woods struck out a career-high eight batters.
The right-hander scattered three hits in six innings, allowed one run and collected his first mound win since 2008. Woods retired 18 of 23 batters he faced, including the last 11 before being lifted for bullpenner Brad Mincey, who worked the seventh inning.
Mike Wright added an inning of two-strikeout relief, while Seth Simmons tossed a perfect ninth.
ODU's 1-0 lead was short-lived.
East Carolina answered with three second-inning runs, including Corey Thompson's RBI single and Trent Whitehead's RBI single. Devin Harris supplied a fourth-inning, RBI single that plated Roller, who was plunked earlier in the inning.
Roller highlighted a five-run sixth inning with a three-run shot to left center putting the game out of reach at 9-1. The Rockingham native recorded his 40th career home run, which moved him into sole possession of fourth place on the school's all-time home run charts. In the frame, seven different Pirates recorded a hit with Roller's blast being the only extra base hit.
Nathan Hartman cranked his first homer of the season in the eighth to draw the score to 9-2 before the Pirates added a pair in the bottom of the inning on a Wright's two-run shot to center put the score at 11-2.
ECU returns to action Friday against No. 10-ranked South Carolina. First pitch is 3 p.m. at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.