PirateIllustrated.com - Bruins take game one 10-9, 2nd game suspended

March 13, 2009

ECU Baseball Media Relations

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Cody Decker smacked two home runs and drove in a season-high five RBI to give UCLA a 10-9 victory over No. 20 East Carolina in game one of a double-header Friday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.

In a game that saw a first pitch in 30-degree weather with light rain, both clubs combined to score 10 runs in the first inning alone, which lasted one hour. UCLA (4-11) plated four runs in the top half of the frame, while the Pirates (10-3) countered with six in the bottom half.

Trailing 9-7 in the sixth, the Bruins took a 10-9 lead thanks to Decker's second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left field. Eddie Murray doubled down the right field line to start the inning then took third on Casey Hearther's single to right. Justin Uribe pushed across the first run of the frame with a sac fly to right just before Decker's fifth homer of the season.

Jason Novak (1-1) secured his first win of the season in relief allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Gavin Brooks notched his first save of the year working 2 1/3 scoreless innings with four punch outs, one walk and a hit. Starter Rob Rasmussen surrendered seven runs on seven hits and fanned two in two innings of work. Matt Grave (1.0 IP, 3 H) and Garrett Claypool (0.0 IP, 1 B) bridged the gap to Brooks.

Brad Mincey (3-1) suffered his first loss giving up three runs on three hits in two innings of relief. Seth Maness stuck out six in five frames, while allowing seven runs (five earned) on 12 hits. Freshman Kevin Brandt made his fourth appearance going 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Seth Simmons closed out the ninth inning facing one batter.

UCLA scored four runs in the first for a 4-0 lead thanks to four hits and a Pirate fielding error. Blair Dunlap singled to right to start the contest then moved to second when Eddie Murray reached on an error. Justin Uribe followed a Casey Hearther pop up with a double to right-center pushing across Dunlap and Murray. Decker singled up the middle scoring Uribe and Decker scored the final run when he crossed home when Niko Gallego was plunked by Maness with the bases loaded.

The Pirates responded with six runs in the bottom of the first to take a 6-4 lead. Trent Whitehead led the five-hit inning singling to left field and then later doubled down the left field line pushing across two runs. Batts followed with a single to left, extending his hit streak to 15 games moving Whitehead to second. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch then Brandon Henderson drove in Whitehead on a groundout to third.

Dustin Harrington, who extended his hit streak to 17 games, plated the second run of the inning when Roller scored on his single up the middle. Jared Avchen loaded the bases when he was plunked by a pitch and Devin Harris was credited with an RBI when he walked scoring Schieber setting up Whitehead's two-out two-run double.

Whitehead's two-RBI triple down the right field line and Wood's solo shot to left increased the Pirates lead to 9-4.

UCLA cut the Pirates lead to two, 9-7 in the fifth inning. Uribe started the fifth off with a single up the middle then touched home on the first of Decker's two home runs, a shot down the left field line, cutting the Pirates lead to 9-6. Dunlap pushed across the final run in the frame with a single to center that scored Dustin Quist.

Offensively the Pirates pounded out double-digit hits (14) for the 13th time this season. Whitehead led the club going 4-for-6 with 4 RBI, while Devin Harris, Dustin Harrington, Kyle Roller and Ryan Wood each had two hits on the afternoon.

The second game of the double-header between No. 20 East Carolina and UCLA was suspended due to rain and will resume Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. ECU officials announced Friday night.

At the time of the suspension, UCLA (4-11) held a 5-3 lead over the Pirates (10-3) in the middle of the sixth frame.

UCLA's hard-throwing freshman, Gerrit Cole, struck out 12 Pirates in five innings of work, while allowing three runs on three hits. ECU starter Chris Heston worked 5 1/3 innings allowing five runs on one hit with six walks and four punch outs. Sthil Sowers(2/3 IP) had just entered the contest closing out the top half of the sixth with a strike out.

Down 3-0 in the fourth, UCLA took advantage of some Pirate miscues scoring five runs on one hit to take a 5-3 lead. Eddie Murray reached on an error then took second on a fielder's choice and landed on third on Justin Uribe's fielder's choice. Murray scored the Bruins first run when Dustin Quist drew a bases-loaded free pass cutting into the Pirates lead, 3-1. Uribe scored on a Chris Heston wild pitch, while Quist and Alex Weber-Shapiro moved up 90 feet to put runners on second and third with two-outs.

Niko Gallego walked to load the bases and a passed ball pushed Weber-Shapiro across for the third run of the frame. Dunlap capped off the scoring with a two-RBI double down the left field line that scored both Quist and Gallego.

ECU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning when Kyle Roller blasted his third home run of the season and 26th of this career, a solo shot to center field.

Freshman Zach Wright gave ECU a 3-0 lead in the third on his second home run of the season. Devin Harris drew a walk prior to Wright's two-run shot to center field.

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