Brady Lloyd's Home Run Highlights ECU's 6-1 Win Over Duke
(11)ECU scored three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth including a Brady Lloyd home run in a 6-1 victory over Duke Wednesday night in front of their best crowd of the year of 4,744 at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
With the victory, the Pirates have won their last ten straight games.
“I thought our guys played great starting with our guy on the mound Ryder (Giles). He got out of a jam in the second inning then Trey Benton came in and was the old Trey - back to himself. Sam got us out of a jam, Barnes was great, Cam was great and even Odom was good and was a diving catch away from not giving up a run,” said ECU head coach Cliff Godwin.
“I thought we played really good defense. Burleson making a throw from right field, I thought Wash played great behind the plate and offensively it took some time to get going but that guy, I don’t know why he is not pitching on the weekend for them to be honest,” said Godwin, “He’s up to 94 with command of his breaking ball. He was better this time than he was a month ago when we played them.”
The Pirates cranked out nine hits including two apiece from Bryant Packard, Lane Hoover and Brady Lloyd to eight hits for Duke who left eleven base runners stranded in the loss to fall to 14-15 on the season.
Pirate starting pitcher Ryder Giles went just three innings before Trey Benton was among five pitchers that came on in relief for ECU(22-6/6-0 AAC). Benton picked up the win improve to 2-0.
Cooper Stinson got the start on the mound for Duke and took the loss to fall to 1-2. Stinson lasted four and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits and three runs with six strikeouts in his 90 pitches before a trio of Blue Devil relievers came on.
After four and a half scoreless innings in the contest, Brady Lloyd got the things underway with his first homer of the season off of Stinson to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
“I was just looking for a fastball and swung at it just as hard as I could and it got over the fence just barely but we got it,” said Lloyd, “It feels real good. I don’t hit very many home runs so when I do, it’s awesome.”
“It definitely helped get us going but then we had Wash and then Barbs and Pack keep it going and keep adding runs and then the next inning be able to come up with a shutdown and be able to come back out score three runs,” Lloyd said, “It puts a damper on them so it definitely helped.”
ECU scored again in the fifth when Jake Washer scored from third base on a passed ball. Then a Lane Hoover hit up the middle brought Bryant Packard home to put the Pirates up 3-0.
The Pirates scored three more runs in the sixth on base hits from Washer and Packard and a Nick Barber grounder that scored a run before Duke(14-15) finally picked up their only run of the game in the ninth inning on a Kennie Taylor base hit.
“Ryder Giles gave us a great start. Coach declared it was going to be a bullpen day early. We didn’t know what order but all the pitchers seemed to be ready and their starter was pretty good,” said Packard, “The fifth was when we put up the three spot. Brady Lloyd with the big home run got us going. It was a complete team effort and the defense was really good too so it was Pirate baseball.”
ECU next takes to the road for a three game series beginning this Friday night at 7 o’clock.
PirateIllustrated.com was on hand to bring you post game comments from Bryant Packard, Brady Lloyd, Sam Lanier and ECU head coach Cliff Godwin.
PI POSTGAME AUDIO: BRYANT PACKARD, BRADY LLOYD & SAM LANIER
