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Pirates Sweep Opening Day Double-Header Over Radford

Spencer Brickhouse homers in game one against Radford on opening day for (11)ECU.
Spencer Brickhouse homers in game one against Radford on opening day for (11)ECU. (PirateIllustrated.com photo)

GREENVILLE - In a game with six home runs and seven doubles between the two teams, (11)ECU used a ten run second inning to create major separation and then held on to take on a 15-9 game two victory over Radford on opening day.

ECU won the first game 6-2 earlier in the afternoon to sweep the double-header.

Carter Spivey(1-0) got the win for ECU on the mound in relief of Jake Agnos while Hunter Williams took the loss for Radford to fall to 0-1 on the season.

Bryson Worrell had a home run and four RBI in game two for ECU and preseason All-American Bryant Packard heated up with a home run and three RBI on three hits for the Pirates in the night cap.

ECU head coach Cliff Godwin talked about his team’s overall opening day performance.

“It was awesome. We had great weather, the fans were into it. I thought the first game we played okay. We did enough to win. I thought we kind of pressed some offensively. Their guy had a pretty good change up that kind of worked against us when you’re kind of anxious on opening day, but Brickhouse had a huge home run in that first game,” said Godwin.

“In that second game in that second inning we put up a ten spot. Bryson (Worrell) coming back from adversity on a ball that was questionable down the line - fair or foul and he hits a two-run jack. He played great today.”

Radford got off to a fast start in game two when Andrew Szamski’s homer to left center in the first frame scored a pair of runs to give the Highlanders a 2-0 lead. It proved to be the Highlanders’ only lead of the game.

ECU(2-0) quickly countered in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer of their own from Bryson Worrell that tied the contest. Then Alec Burleson sac flied to left and Brickhouse scored to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

The Highlanders countered in the top of the second with a David Bryant double that scored another Radford run. But four ECU doubles, two base hits and a two-run Bryant Packard homer later, the Pirates had exploded for ten runs to take a 13-3 lead after just two innings.

A Spencer Horwitz homer in the fourth got Radford on the scoreboard again and Alec Burleson sac flied to score another ECU run in the bottom of the third in a 14-4 contest.

Radford then collected another run in the fifth when Horwitz doubled to right scoring Carlin Christian. In the top of the sixth Kyle Butler added another Highlander run to make it 14-6. But ECU quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with a home run from Seth Caddell.

Clayton Baine added a field goal with a three-run homer for Radford in the top of the ninth inning to wind up the scoring in game two.

GAME ONE: (11)ECU 6 RADFORD 2

Spencer Brickhouse’s two-run bomb to left field broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning and proved to be the game winner on opening day in (11)ECU’s 6-2 game one victory over Radford.

All told, Brickhouse homered and delivered three RBI for the Pirates. Trey Benton(1-0) was credited with the victory while Austin Gerber took the loss for Radford. Alec Burleson went four for five from the plate and lasted five innings on the mound in a duel role in game one.

The Pirates got on the scoreboard early in the bottom of the first when Alec Burleson’s single to right field brought Bryson Worrell across home plate for a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Radford scored a pair of home runs when Garrett Matheny and Kyle Butler both went yard on ECU starting pitcher Alec Burleson before Brady Lloyd’s sacrifice bunt scored a run for the Pirates that tied the contest at 3-3.

Burleson allowed three hits and a pair of runs to go along with four strikeouts before before Trey Benton came on in relief in the sixth. Then right-hander Cam Colmore finished things up on the mound after entering in the game for ECU with one out in the eighth.

After Brickhouse’s homer in the sixth, ECU was at it again in the bottom of the seventh when Bryant Packard’s bases loaded sac fly to left produced a Lane Hoover run to make it 5-2. Brickhouse then singled to right in the bottom of the seventh to give ECU a four run 6-2 lead.

The two teams resume action for game three of the weekend series on Sunday at high noon.

Attendance - 3,991

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