The weather wasn’t ideal but nationally ranked ECU gutted their way through a cold, wet Saturday to pick up a pair of wins over Monmouth in Clark-LeClair Stadium. ECU won the first game 3-1 and the second by a score of 10-0.
ECU took a 3-1 game one win over Monmouth to open the Saturday double-header Saturday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Pirates got on the scoreboard first when Thomas Francisco’s base hit to center brought Alec Burleson home for a 1-0 lead. The Pirates was at it again in the bottom of the second inning when Burleson’s sac fly to centerfield brought Turner Brown home for a 2-0 cushion off of Dan Klepchick who went five innings, giving up six hits and a pair of earned runs before Mason Miller came on in the sixth.
Monmouth picked up their first run of the day in the top of the third and trimmed the ECU lead to 2-1 when centerfielder Kyle Norman’s grounder to first base allowed Danny Long to score.
The Pirates did additional offensive damage in the seventh when a Jake Washer homer to left field extended the ECU lead to 3-1 and held on for the victory.
Alec Burleson(1-0) got the start and the win for ECU in game one of the Saturday double-header lasting seven innings on the mound, giving up just one run on five hits. Sam Lanier and Evan Voliva who got the save came on in relief for the Pirates.
Dan Klepchick(0-1) give up six hits and a pair of runs in five innings of game one work for Monmouth before three other pitchers platooned the rest of the way.
GAME TWO
Jake Agnos picked up the win in a 10-0 game two victory. Agnos moved to 1-0 for the Pirates with the victory going seven innings and giving up just four hits to go along with 11 strikeouts in 89 pitches.
Ryan Steckline gave up eight runs on six hits in just three and two-thirds innings of work on the mound and dropped to 0-2 with the loss for Monmouth.
In the night cap, Nick Barber, Alec Burleson, Bryson Worrell and Jake Washer all doubled in the third inning and ECU took a 4-0 lead in the third inning.
The Pirates added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Nick Barber grounder that allowed Smallwood to score and Alec Burleson’s base hit to right that scored Brady Lloyd to make the score 6-0.
Matters didn’t get any easier for Monmouth when Seth Caddell’s fifth inning homer to left off of Nick Houghton for the extra point that put the Pirates up by a touchdown.
ECU(5-1) added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh frame on base hits from Lane Hoover and Seth Caddell. Then Chandler Jenkins scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 10-0.
All told, the Pirates pounded out ten hits in the game two victory.
Game three between the two teams is scheduled for Sunday at 1 o'clock.
