Mercy, mercy me, things ain't what they used to be...
After ECU mercy ruled Wichita State 10-0 in game one, the Shockers returned the favor in a 12-2 victory over the Pirates in the nightcap Friday night in Wichita to split the day one AAC double-header.
Wichita State’s Jace Kaminska started in game two and improved to 5-0 in impressive fashion on five hits, two earned runs and five strikeouts in a complete game victory. Garrett Saylor was credited with the loss for ECU to fall to 3-2.
All told, the Shockers registered three home runs in the victory that began with Corrigan Bartlett’s first inning homer that got Wichita State out in front with an early 2-0 lead.
ECU(29-8/11-3 AAC) cut the Shocker lead to one in the top of the fourth on a Bryson Worrell base hit up the middle that scored Lane Hoover from third base. That was followed by a Ben Newton sacrifice bunt that allowed Alec Makarewicz to score to tie the game at 2-2.
But that was as close as the Pirates would come.
Jake Kuchmaner put together an improved outing Friday night lasting five innings for the Pirates, yielding just a pair of runs on four hits with five strikeouts and just one walk in 73 pitches before five relief pitchers followed.
Hunter Gibson homered off of Garrett Saylor who came on in the bottom of the sixth in relief for ECU. The two-run shot over the centerfield wall gave Wichita State a 4-2 lead. A single, two passed balls and a walk later, Matt Bridges entered in relief of Saylor. Wichita then loaded the bases, but Bridges was able to put out the fire.
Cam Colmore then entered in relief of Bridges in the bottom of the seventh for ECU and Wichita State(21-16/9-8 AAC) added seven runs in the frame on a Bartlett RBI single and a Gibson triple down the right field line that generated a pair of runs to push the lead to 7-2. That got Colmore pulled for Nick Logusch, ECU’s fifth pitcher of the evening.
Then a David VanVooren’s RBI single in the same frame made it 8-2 before a three-run Chuck Ingram homer put the game out of reach at 11-2 with no outs in the inning. That’s when Ross Cadena’s sacrifice fly scored another run to make it 12-2 to end the game after seven innings.
The two teams will resume action on Saturday with a 3 pm first pitch.
GAME ONE
(8)ECU cruised past Wichita State 10-0 in the first of a four-game AAC set in Wichita highlighted by home runs from Thomas Francisco and Zach Agnos and quality pitching from Friday starter Gavin Williams(6-0).
Williams went six strong innings in the first game of the double-header, that ended after seven innings, giving up five hits and a pair of walks with nine strikeouts in 102 pitches. Landon Ginn came on in the seventh to shut the door for the Pirates.
Wichita State(20-16/8-8 AAC) entered this weekend’s action having lost six of their last seven contests including two of three to Cincinnati last weekend.
The Pirates did not waste much time getting off to a solid start, scoring in all of the first four innings and adding two more runs in the sixth.
In the first frame Zach Agnos’ bunt to third base allowed Connor Norby to score for a 1-0 lead. Then in the second and third innings, ECU home runs from Bryson Worrell and Thomas Francisco broadened the lead to 3-0.
Agnos was at it again in the third inning with a two-run centerfield homer for his third round tripper of the year and the East Carolina lead grew to 5-0.
In the fourth inning, Connor Norby doubled off of Wichita State right-handed starter Preston Snavely(3-4) who took the loss and Norby advanced to third on a throwing error from right-fielder Couper Cornblum. That got Snavely lifted after eight hits, six earned runs and four strikeouts for Shocker right-hander Creighton Hansen.
Later in the fourth, Josh Moylan reached on an error that allowed Thomas Francisco to score. That was followed by an Agnos grounder that brought in another run in a 8-0 contest.
ECU(29-7/11-2 AAC) added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth when Bryson Worrell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before a Ryder Giles grounder to second eventually scored another run to make it 10-0.
