ECU scored three in the first including a two-run Bryson Worrell homer, four runs in the eighth and the Pirates cruised their fourth straight win in a 7-2 victory at Elon Tuesday evening at Latham Park.
Fifth year senior Cam Colmore gave up no runs in his four innings of work in relief to pick up his first win of the season for ECU while Ian Evans(0-2) absorbed the loss for 6-2 Elon.
“Just a great job by Trystan Kimmell starting us off and bringing some momentum into our dugout with two shutout innings and then we just talk about a next man up mentality,” said Colmore, “He did his job, passed the ball to me. I did my job - handed it to Parker (Boyle) and the rest of the guys did their job. Just a great job by everybody tonight.”
“It makes it a lot easier when you’re getting ahead of guys,” said Colmore, “I made some good pitches to put away guys and my defense was great behind me tonight.”
Zach Agnos’ RBI grounder and Bryson Worrell’s two-run homer in the first inning set the tone and a four run eighth inning were big for the Pirates.
“Hoover got us going with an infield single. They tried to pick him off. He gets to third - scores on an Agnos ground ball and Franny has a swinging bunt hit with two outs and then Bryson gets a swing off 2-0 and you’re up 3-nothing,” ECU head coach Cliff Godwin said.
“The pitching was outstanding. Trystan Kimmell gave us a quality start. We knew he wasn’t going to go more than two innings and Cam Colmore gave us four scoreless innings. A fifth year senior who has put in his time,” said Godwin, “I couldn’t be more happy for him. C.J. Mayhue in the eighth and Skylar Brooks a guy who hasn’t had the ball all year - a freshman comes in there and just floods the zone. A lot of quality at-bats in the eighth inning. I’m really proud of our guys how they responded after we gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh.”
An ECU double steal in the seventh inning from Nick Barber who stole second and Trevor Losito who collected his first steal of the year while pinch running for Christian Smallwood put Pirates once again in scoring position, but Losito was thrown out at home plate to end the threat.
Ian Evans lasted six innings on the mound for Elon, yielding seven hits, three RBI and a homer for Elon before a bevy of Phoenix relief pitchers ensued.
Trystan Kimmel got the start for ECU(7-1) and went two scoreless innings before Cam Colmore lasted four more without giving up a run.
Garrett Stonehouse doubled to centerfield off of Parker Boyle in the seventh inning and J.P. Sponseller scored from first base for Elon’s first run of the game in a 3-1 contest.
Garrett Saylor then came on to pitch for ECU as part of four straight right-handers for the Pirates. He gave up a run on a base hit from Matt Oldham that scored another Elon run to trim the lead to 3-2. It was Oldham’s ninth RBI of the season. Saylor got the strikeout to end the threat.
That’s when things slowed up considerably in this contest. The good thing for ECU was they came out on the long end of a very weird eighth inning that eventually got Elon coach Mike Kennedy tossed.
A bloop single from from Agnos to right and a walk to Alec Burleson put ECU in position to score in the eighth. That got Thomas Spurlin lifted from the mound where he moved to shortstop and Sean O’Connell moved to the mound for Elon. A walk and an Elon error on catcher Nick Cicci then led to an ECU run when Agnos scampered home.
Burleson eventually scored on a Bryson Worrell deep fly ball to expand the Pirate lead to 5-2. Then with runners on the corners, Losito’s bunt to first brought in Christian Jayne from third to make it 6-2 and a balk from O’Connell and a passed ball allowed Connor Norby score to put the Pirates up by five at 7-2.
The Pirates return to the diamond this weekend for the Keith LeClair Classic. ECU opens with Indiana at 4:30 pm on Friday followed by games against Ole Miss and High Point as the weekend progresses.
