KUCHMANER THROWS PERFECT GAME IN 3-0 WIN OVER MARYLAND
ECU’s hottest pitcher of late has been Jake Kuchmaner who last week came just one strike away from a no hitter at Ole Miss before going over five innings at Duke on Tuesday.
Kuchmaner(2-0) was at it again getting the start for ECU on Sunday. The Waxhaw sophomore retired twenty seven straight Maryland batters for the Pirates' first ever perfect game in a 3-0 no hitter.
It was the first perfect game nationally since February 24, 2018 when Joe DeMer led Washington past UC Riverside 2-0.
He recorded eight strikeouts, ten fly outs and nine ground outs in the Sunday gem.
In the end Kuchmaner, whose mother is Irish, had the luck of the Irish on his side on St. Patrick’s day and he talked about it afterward.
“I feel good. My arm is starting to feel it a little bit. I have a little bit of adrenaline going. I’m pretty excited and pretty excited for all those guys for the sweep,” said Kuchmaner, “The biggest thing was to throw to one hitter at a time. We played Duke on Tuesday, so I didn’t really know how long my plan was. They didn’t really tell me. The thing was to just go as long as I could.”
“Just take it one hitter at a time and be as efficient as possible today. I just had to let my defense play and they were phenomenal today. They made plays behind me that were unreal. Burley in the last inning, Ryder all day, T.B., the outfielders - they were phenomenal. Great job.”
With the victory ECU(14-6) completed the weekend sweep in Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium in College Park to improve to 15-6 on the year.
After five scoreless innings ECU got on the scoreboard when Thomas Francisco doubled to right field in the sixth, scoring a pair of runs to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Seth Caddell’s ninth inning home run blast to left off of John Murphy added some insurance to give ECU a 3-0 lead.
Trevor LaBonte(1-1) lasted five and a third innings and absorbed the loss for Maryland(10-8) after giving up a pair of runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Elliot Zoellner then went an inning and a third in relief before Sean Fisher, Nick Turnbull and eventually John Murphy entered for the Terps.
ECU returns home this Wednesday when the Pirates host UNC-Wilmington. Game time at Clark-LeClair Stadium is at 6:30 p.m.
