ECU Easily Topples Houston to Stay Alive in the AAC Tourney
With ECU facing possible elimination from the AAC Tournament, the Pirates erupted for 13 runs to take a lopsided 13-2 win over Houston on Wednesday in Clearwater. Jake Washer knocked a pair of home runs to tie a AAC tourney record in the victory to go along with three RBI.
Ryder Giles had two hits and three RBI, Jake Washer and Thomas Francisco added three runs batted in while Bryson Worrell and Alec Burleson added two RBI apiece in a 15 hit ECU offensive barrage.
AAC pitcher of the year Jake Agnos gave up just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings and 117 pitches of work to improve to 9-1 with the win. Clay Aguilar absorbed the loss for Houston to fall to 6-4 on the season.
Washer got things going with a base hit up the middle in the first inning that scored Turner Brown to give ECU a quick 1-0 lead.
Houston got in the act in the second inning to tie the contest at 1-1 when Brad Burckel scored on a Jake Washer wild pitch.
ECU(43-14) then took a big 4-1 advantage in the top of the third inning on consecutive home runs from Alec Burleson to right for two runs and Jake Washer’s solo homer to right center. That seemed to help the Pirates play more relaxed and they performed like they are capable the rest of the way.
With the bases loaded in the sixth, Connor Norby walked to score a run. Ryder Giles knocked a base hit to right that scored a pair of runs. Connor Norby scored on a wild pitch from Houston’s Devon Roedahl and the ECU lead expanded to 8-1 with no outs in the inning. Turner Brown then grounded into a double-play, but it resulted in another ECU run to make it 9-1.
Washer’s second home run of the day came in the next inning and only added insult to injury for Houston and gave ECU a commanding 10-1 lead.
Houston(32-24) added a second run the eighth inning on a Tyler Bielamowicz grounder that allowed Jared Triolo to scamper home.
Bryson Worrell’s base hit in the top of the ninth scored a pair of ECU runs. Then Ryder Giles’ base knock scored two more to make it 13-2.
ECU will next play the loser between the four seed UConn and eighth seeded Wichita State who beat ECU on Tuesday. That game will be played on Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
