ECU Rallies to Grab a 7-6 Win Over Cincinnati
(12)ECU rallied in the seventh from a two-run deficit, scoring four runs and then held on late to take a 7-6 win over Cincinnati Saturday night at UC Baseball Stadium.
Garrett Saylor was credited with the victory for ECU(35-11/17-6 AAC) to improve to 4-1 and C.J. Mayhue grabbed his seventh save of the season. Nathan Moore fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss for Cincinnati(25-23/14-13 AAC)
Ryder Giles got his fourth hit of the series with the bases loaded in the second inning and got ECU out to an early 1-0 lead. Cincinnati answered in the bottom of the inning on a Ryan Nicholson RBI single to centerfield that brought Eric Santiago home from second base.
After a triple from Cole Harting in the third frame, Joey Belini reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Harting from third to give the Bearcats a 2-1 lead.
East Carolina added a pair of runs in the fifth inning on a Zach Agnos sacrifice bunt and a Lane Hoover single to second base to recapture the lead at 3-2.
After Carson Whisenhunt was lifted, Carter Spivey and Garrett Saylor saw action in relief. Whisenhunt went five and a third on the mound giving up five hits and was credited with two earned runs with four strikeouts and one walk in 75 pitches.
Joey Bellini was at it again in the fifth and Cincinnati took a two run lead at 5-3 on a double down the left field line off of Saylor with the bases loaded that scored three runs.
Evan Shawver went five frames on the hill for the Bearcats yielding six hits, three runs with three strikeouts and two walks before right-hander Nathan Moore entered in the sixth in relief.
The Pirates then scored four runs in the seventh to take a 7-5 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cincinnai’s Tanner Hollen RBI base hit up the middle off of Matt Bridges allowed the Bearcats to pull within one at 7-6. C.J. Mayhue then entered on the mound for ECU and hit Tanner Merritt with a pitch to load the bases before striking out Cole Harting to end the threat.
The two teams will wind up the weekend series on Sunday at 11 o’clock.
