ECU Tops Boston College 2-1

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Junior Ryan Williams struck out five batters in seven innings helping East Carolina to a 2-1 win over Boston College on day two of the 10th Annual Keith LeClair Classic Saturday at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 2-3, while the Eagles drop to 1-3.

For the second-straight night the Pirates got on the board early taking a 1-0 lead in the third frame. Travis Watkins drew an opening frame walk then took second on Jack Reinheimer's sac bunt down the first base line. Bryan Bass followed with a walk and with two outs, Chase McDonald laced a single to right field plating Watkins before he was thrown out at second to end the stanza.

Williams (1-0) picked up his first win in a Pirate uniform allowing one run (unearned) on six hits with a walk to go along with his season-high five punch outs. The Morgan Hill, Calif. native retired 14 of 19 batters through five innings before surrendering Boston College's lone run in the sixth. He responded by setting down the side in order in the seventh giving way to the Pirates' bullpen.

Lefty Jake Harris recorded one out and allowed a pair of hits and Drew Reynolds notched his first save of the season tossing 1.2 scoreless innings. The right-hander induced a bases loaded double play to get the Pirates out of the eighth inning jam and then retired the side in the ninth.

Eric Stevens (0-2) suffered his second loss of the season allowing both runs (earned) on six hits with four walks and a punch out in 6.2 innings. Nate Bayuk (0.1 IP) and Jesse Adams (1.0) held the Pirates hitless over the final 1.1 frames keeping Boston College in the game.

Jay Cannon, who was 2-for-3 on the night, drove in ECU's second run of the game with a double in the fourth innings. Nick Thompson reached after being hit by a pitch and came around to score on Cannon's two-base hit to left field. On the play, Cannon was gunned down trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Boston College pulled within one, 2-1, in the sixth. Tom Bourdon led off with a single to right center for his third-straight base knock of the game and advanced to second on Blake Butera's ground out to third. Williams got Chris Shaw to pop out Reinheimer in foul territory down the left field line before Logan Hoggarth reached on a throwing error by Reinheimer over to first that scored Bourdon.

Bass, who extended his hit streak to five games, and Cannon each had two hits to lead the Pirates, while Bourdon had three hits (two doubles, single) for the Eagles.

The Pirates will take Saturday off from the LeClair Classic and return to action Sunday, Feb. 24 playing host to New Mexico State at 1 p.m.