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GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU ATHLETICS) – East Carolina posted a season high in runs scored and utilized a solid effort by its pitching staff to glide by Old Dominion 8-2 Wednesday afternoon inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Pirates (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak with the comprehensive victory while also affording head coach Cliff Godwin his 400th career victory in his 11th season at the helm of the program.
In his first appearance of the season and, on what was a predetermined staff day pitching wise, Jaden Winter (1-0) tossed a strong 2.2 innings to earn the victory. He scattered three hits while allowing just one run and striking out two. Frankie Wright (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in one frame of work. Ethan Young collected his first save of the campaign and was electric out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit while striking out three batters in 3.1 scoreless innings.
Austin Irby sparked the offensive efforts with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI as well as his first career home run. Walker Barron also chipped in with a hit, two runs scored and an RBI. Maverick Stallings paced the visiting lineup with a 2-for-4 performance.
Winter made quick work of the Monarch (2-5) side in the top of the first, setting the stage for some fireworks in the home half. Leadoff batter Alex Peltier reached on a fielding error before moving to second on a Dixon Williams sacrifice bunt. Michael Kalinich then drew a walk, and Walker Barron laced an RBI single down the right field line to make it 1-0. Irby kept things moving, working a full count before connecting and drilling a towering shot over the right field wall to push the lead to 4-0.
The teams traded runs in the third inning and the game settled in from there. ODU drew within 5-2 via a Stallings RBI single in the top of the sixth, but some heads-up base running right after the stretch allowed ECU to extend its advantage to five. John Collins hit a rocket back to the mound for a leadoff single and Barron was hit by a pitch, putting the Pirates in business. After a textbook Irby sac bunt pushed pinch runner Chance Hall and Barron up a base, a wild pitch and a throwing error scored both runners for a 7-2 East Carolina lead.
With Young putting up zeros on the bump, Williams placed an exclamation mark on the proceedings with a monster 420-foot solo tank in the bottom of the eighth. The Monarchs were able to muster up just a lone walk in the ninth before a grounder to first terminated the contest.
Postgame Notes
- ECU tied the series with Old Dominion at 36 in the teams’ 72nd all-time meeting.
- Entering the game ranked 14th nationally in double plays turned at eight, the Pirates added one more to their season total Wednesday.
- East Carolina was 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position as well as 2-for-2 with a runner on third and less than two outs.
- In addition to registering his first career home run, Irby has recorded at least one hit in six of the last seven games.
- Godwin is the second head coach in program history to reach 400 wins, joining Dr. Gary Overton (427 victories).
Up Next: East Carolina hosts the 22nd annual Keith LeClair Classic Feb. 28-March 2, welcoming in Kent State, Indiana State and Virginia Tech for the round-robin event. The Sycamores and Hokies kick off play Friday at Noon before the Pirates and Golden Flashes face off at 4:30 p.m.
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