May 2, 2008

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. - The wind was blowing out at Clark-LeClair Stadium Friday night, and so were the East Carolina hits, as the Pirates used four home runs, three of which were of the three-run variety, to slug past the UAB Blazers, 13-6, and take a 1-0 series lead. ECU second baseman Ryan Wood finished the game 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI.

The 30th-ranked East Carolina Pirates improve to 34-13 (9-7 C-USA) with the win, while UAB falls to 19-25 (4-12 C-USA) with the loss. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday due to the threat of rain on Sunday.

Seth Maness (8-0) earned the win on the mound after firing 7.0 innings in which he struck out seven and gave up just two earned runs.

James Oliver (4-3) got the loss for UAB after giving up nine runs in 3.2 innings.

UAB right fielder Brint Hardy was 2-for-4, including a two-run home run in the game, while third baseman Luke Stewart continued his sharp play at the plate as he too was 2-for-4 on the night.

In addition to Wood's impressive night at the plate, ECU catcher Corey Kemp also provided some offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Right fielder Jamie Ray provided the other Pirate homer, finishing the game 2-for-5 with three RBI.

East Carolina plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the second when Kemp singled to reach base and then scored on an RBI-single up the middle by shortstop Dustin Harrington.

The Pirates pulled away 5-0 in the third thanks to a three-run blast over the right field wall by Kemp which scored third baseman Stephen Batts and Wood.

Kemp came back around in the fourth and drove in his fourth run of the game when a single down the left field line scored Batts to give ECU a 6-0 lead. The Pirates extended their lead in the inning to 9-0 on a three-run home run by Ray to end Oliver's day on the mound.

Hardy got the Blazers on the board in the fifth when he hit a two-run home run over the left-center field wall which also scored Stewart to make it 9-2. Stewart had singled to right field to lead off the inning.

Yet another three-run blast by the Pirates in the bottom of the fifth, this time off the bat of Wood, gave ECU a 12-2 advantage.

Both teams scored one run in the seventh and then the Blazers got two runs home on a double down the left field line by first baseman Ryan Keedy in the eighth to make it 13-5. UAB then scored one final run in the top of the ninth.

Due to a forecast of rain in Greenville on Sunday, the Blazers and the Pirates will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Clark-LeClair Stadium that will get underway at 3:00 p.m.