Agnos Leads ECU Past Tulane 5-3
East Carolina picked up the rubber match of their three-game AAC series with a 5-3 victory over Tulane Sunday afternoon in Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Jake Agnos went seven and a third innings, giving up just four hits and a run in 115 pitches to pickup the win to move to 2-2. Matt Bridges came on late to pitch an inning and two-thirds to close the deal for the Pirates. Sam Bjorngjeld fell to 3-3 with the loss. “From the get go, a leadoff strikeout, I think that set the tone in the game. I was here and I was ready to pitch,” Agnos said.
“Tight zone. I had to overcome that. That’s what Coach Godwin was telling me to just keep doing me, just keep trusting him and trusting my defense. Some of the plays they made out there, big innings, turning the double-play, said Agnos, "The sixth and seventh, that was huge. That just keeps the pitch count down. It was just a team effort, putting up five runs. Two of them late in the game with two outs, that was huge and that’s what wins us ballgames.”
Cliff Godwin needed a big outing from Agnos on Sunday and he got it in game three.
“I challenged Jake today in front of the whole team. To be honest he hasn’t pitched up to what I think he’s been capable of. Really tough strike zone for pitchers today,” Cliff Godwin said after the game, “You had to throw the ball across the white part of the place against one of the best offenses in the country, you get to see what his stuff is. To go out there and go seven and a third and give up one run, I thought he was outstanding. The difference in the game today was Jake Agnos.”
Tulane(22-23/9-6 AAC) scored in the top of the fourth inning on a Kody Hoese double down the left field line that brought Jarret DeHart home for a 1-0 lead.ddd
ECU(24-21/4-11 AAC) got in the act in the bottom of the same frame when Turner Brown singled to left and Eric Tyler scored to tie the game at 1-1. Then Wes Phillips double down the left field line to score two more runs and make it 3-1 ECU.
Eric Tyler’s two-run RBI in the bottom of the seventh gave ECU some added insurance and extended the lead to 5-1.
“Eric Tyler’s two run single near the end of the game was the difference in our win today,” Godwin said.
The Green Wave made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Grant Witherspoon’s seeing eye single through the right side of the ECU infield allowed Hunter Hope to score from second base. Then Hunter Williams singled to right center to bring Sal Gozzo home to cut the lead to 5-3.
