ECU Sweeps Georgia Southern
Bryson Worrell’s three-run homer in the first inning highlighted ten ECU runs in the first three innings of game two of Sunday’s double-header with Georgia Southern and the Pirates went on to claim a 10-2 victory to complete the three game sweep.
With the victory, ECU moved to 6-1 on the season including 6-0 at home.
“He threw me two off speed pitches to start the at bat and I saw it pretty well so I was sitting on a fast ball,” said Worrell afterward, “I saw my pitch and took a swing on it.”
Alec Burleson went three for five at the plate with two RBI and Thomas Francisco went two for three, scored twice and had one RBI to help lead ECU offensively.
“I think it’s awesome. Anytime you can come in here and get a sweep it’s awesome. Our pitchers did an amazing job today and we piled up a lot of quality at bats. It was a huge success.
Jake Kuchmaner went three scoreless innings on the mound for the Pirates in his weekend start, yielding three hits with two strikeouts to pick up the win before six others came on in relief for ECU.
Georgia Southern got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning on a Chandler Davis homer to right field and Davis was at it again in the top of the seventh when is base hit to left brought in Mason McWhorter for another run to complete the scoring.
Afterward Cliff Godwin was pleased with the victory but cautious knowing that things won’t get any easier with the schedule to come.
“Georgia Southern is a really good team. Watching them on video with the pitching that they had, if you break down their stuff, they had guys throwing mid 90’s with an off speed pitch,” said Godwin, “So I knew runs were going to be at a premium and our pitching matched their pitching - pitch for pitch. I thought defensively we were very good all weekend, offensively it was tough treading but in the second game I thought we put together some really quality at bats with runners in scoring position.”
GAME ONE
ECU picked up a 3-2 win in game one of Sunday’s double header in Greenville.
The Pirates churned out seven hits including a home run, two hits and a pair of RBI from Thomas Francisco who talked about his two run homer in the bottom of the first frame.
“The guy just hung a slider, so I tried to put a good swing on it and luckily it got out,” said Francisco.
C.J. Mayhue got the win in two innings of work for the Pirates while Ryder Giles picked up his first save of the season. Braden Hayes went six innings for Georgia Southern, giving up six hits and three earned runs to absorb the loss to fall to 0-1 for Georgia Southern.
Then in the second frame, Ryder Giles doubled down the right field line to score Seth Caddell as the Pirate lead expanded to 3-0.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, Georgia Southern got on the scoreboard when Mason McWhorter was hit by a Garrett Saylor pitch to score a run.
Georgia Southern made a move in the eighth inning on a Biederer RBI base hit to center to cut the lead to 3-2 but the Pirates snuffed out the rally with the bases loaded to pick up the victory.
PI AUDIO: CLIFF GODWIN POST GAME COMMENTS
PI AUDIO: BRYSON WORRELL & THOMAS FRANCISCO
