April 27, 11 p.m. sports: Pirates beat Tulane again; former Swansboro star to join Eagles

KUCHMANER PITCHES No. 11 ECU PAST TULANE, 8-2

By East Carolina University Sports Information

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jake Kuchmaner allowed two runs over 8.1 innings, while Seth Caddell and Bryant Packard each registered three hit as No. 11 ECU clinched an American Athletic Conference series win over Tulane, 8-2, Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 33-10 on the season and 13-1 in league play, while extending their current win streak to eight games and its home streak to 14 contests. The Green Wave drops to 26-16 on the year and 8-5 in conference action.

For the second-straight game, ECU wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard as it plated a pair of runs in the first inning taking 2-0 lead. Packard extended his on-base streak to 22 games leading off the contest with a single through the right side. After a Lane Hoover’s sac bunt moved him into scoring position, Alec Burleson singled up the middle plating the Pirates first run. Turner Brown followed with a double down the right field line pushing across Burleson for the early advantage.

Kuchmaner (4-1) allowed two runs (both earned) on six hits while walking a pair and fanning six. The lefty fanned at least one batter in five frames and tallied a pair in the eighth inning. The outing marked the third time this season he pitched eight-plus innings (others: 8.2 at Ole Miss, 9.0 at Maryland). Sam Lanier worked two-thirds of an inning allowing one hit to secure the series win for the Pirates.

Keagan Gillies (2-2) was touched for five runs (all earned) on seven hits with one punch out in 1.1 inning. Justin Campbell worked a career-high five frames with a personal-best six strikeouts where he gave up just one run (earned) on two hits to go along with four walks. Connor Pellerin surrendered two runs (both earned) on two hits with a pair of walks and one strikeout in his 1.2 innings of relief.

ECU continued to throw up runs in the second inning plating three on four hits to extend its lead to 5-0. Caddell doubled to start the frame and took second on Brady Lloyd’s sac bunt. Ryder Giles reached on an RBI fielder’s choice scoring Caddell. Packard followed with a single to left field and Hoover’s RBI base hit through the right side pushed across Giles and Spencer Brickhouse’s RBI ground out to third scored Packard.

Packard plated the Pirates sixth run of the afternoon in the third when he was hit by a Campbell pitch with the bases loaded that scored Brown extending the lead to 6-0.

The Green Wave scored their first run of the series in the fourth frame pulling within five, 6-1. Cody Hoese doubled for the second time in the contest to get the inning underway. Hudson Haskin followed with an infield single moving Hoese to third before he scored on a Frankie Niemann’s double play ball to short.

Hoover and Brickhouse’s sac flies in the eight pushed the Pirates lead to seven, 8-1. Tulane got a late run of its own in the ninth on Jonathon Artigues’ RBI single.

ECU pounded out 11 hits pushing its record to 21-0 when reaching the double-digit mark. Caddell (double, two singles) and Packard (three singles) led the way with three apiece. Giles tallied two base knocks and now has five multi-hit games on the season. Brickhouse drive in a pair of runs for his team-leading 13th multi-RBI game of the year and has four on the weekend.

Hoese (three) and Artigues (two) combined for five of the Green Waves seven hits in the game.

ECU will go for its fourth league sweep of the season when the two clubs meet Sunday, April 28 at 12 noon (ET).

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DOROW’S WALK-OFF HOMER LIFTS WOODIES OVER FAYETTEVILLE

Down East Records First Walk-Off Win of Season, Earns Second Straight Victory

By Matt Parent, Down East Wood Ducks

Kinston, N.C. – With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth inning, Ryan Dorow belted a walk-off home run to left field, to lift the Wood Ducks to a, 3-2, victory over the Woodpeckers, Saturday.

The walk-off win is the first of the season, and it’s the first walk-off homer by the Wood Ducks since Chuck Leblanc did so against Carolina on May 9, 2018.

The Woodies (15-8) fell behind in the first inning. Bryan De La Cruz led off with a double to left field, and came into score later in the inning on a Jake Adams groundout to make it 1-0. It was the first time in the last nine games that the Wood Ducks did not strike first.

They would answer in the second. Dorow reached on an error with two outs, and Yanio Perez followed with a two-run homer to left, his second of the year, to put the Woodies in front 2-1.

It stayed that way until the sixth, when Noah Bremer gave up a leadoff double to Scott Manea. Later in the inning, Corey Julks singled through the left side to tie the game at 2-2.

Bremer went six innings, giving up two runs on five hits, he walked three, and struck out four, and did not factor in the decision.

Parker Mushinski started for Fayetteville (13-10), going five innings, giving up two unearned runs on six hits, he struck out eight, and did not walk a batter.

The game remained tied until the ninth inning. Joe Barlow (win, 2-0) struck out the side in the top half of the inning, paving the way for Dorow’s homer in the home half. It came with one out against Jose Bravo (loss, 2-1), who had retired ten of his previous 11 batters to that point. He ended up going 3.1 innings, with the home run accounting for the only hit he allowed. It was Dorow’s third homer of the season.

The Wood Ducks send righty Jason Bahr (1-0, 1.76) to the mound tomorrow as they go for the sweep. He will be opposed by Fayetteville righty J.P. France (0-2, 6.92) in a 1 p.m. start. It will be Sunday Funday at Grainger stadium featuring pregame autographs, and postgame kids-run-the-bases, presented by Cricket Wireless. The broadcast will begin at 12:50 p.m. on 960AM The Bull, and online on 960thebull.com as well as on the TuneIn and MiLB First Pitch apps. For tickets and more information visit woodducksbaseball.com or call (252) 686-5172.