June 1, 11 p.m. sports: Pirates in familiar spot after regional home loss
ECU Falls To Quinnipiac In Greenville Regional Opener
By ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A two-run home run off the bat of Liam Scafariello in the top of the seventh propelled Quinnipiac to a 5-4 victory over ECU in game two of the NCAA Greenville Regional Saturday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The top-seeded Pirates (43-16) will face No. 2 seed NC State in an elimination contest at Noon Sunday while the No. 4 seed Bobcats (30-27) advance to the winner’s bracket and will take on No. 3 seed Campbell at 4 p.m.
Chris Enns (7-5) recorded the victory on the mound, working 6.2 strong innings. He allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Colin Donnelly picked up the save, tossing the final 2.1 innings and surrendering one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Evan Voliva (5-4) was tagged with the loss as he gave up two runs on one hit in an inning pitched.
Evan Vulgamore posted two hits and drove in a run to pace Quinnipiac offensively while Bryant Packard was 3-for-5 with a run scored. Alec Burleson added two hits and a RBI.
The Bobcats surged into the lead in the top of the first. With one out, Andre Marrero doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a wild pitch. A RBI groundout drove him in before Vulgamore deposited a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left to make it 2-0 heading into the home half of the inning.
Packard singled through the right side to lead off the bottom of the first and moved to third on a throwing error by Enns. With runners at the corners and no outs, Burleson singled through the left side to score Packard and cut the Bobcat lead to 2-1. Turner Brown tied the game at two when he crossed home plate on a throw up to second base on a steal attempt by Burleson.
Quinnipiac regained the upper hand in the top of the second via a one-out Dylan Lutz run-scoring double. ECU then tied it in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Lloyd was hit by a pitch to lead off the half inning and moved to second on a balk before scoring on a Thomas Francisco single to left center.
The Bobcats looked to break the tie in the top of the sixth when Vulgamore started the frame with a triple to center. Voliva entered the game and induced a quick groundout before Burleson snagged a fly ball in shallow right field and fired a strike to the plate to nail Vulgamore and squash the rally.
Jake Washer roped a double down the right field line to lead off the bottom of the sixth but was thrown out at home by Scafariello in right when Lloyd singled with one out.
Quinnipiac pulled ahead for good in the top of the seventh. After Anthony Cruz drew a leadoff walk, Scafariello belted a 3-0 offering over the wall in left to make it a 5-3 game.
Burleson came up big in the top of the eighth, striking the side with the bases loaded and no outs to give the home team a boost. Bryson Worrell made the things interesting in the home half of the inning, depositing a 0-1 pitch well over the left field wall to slice the Bobcat lead to one.
The Pirates rallied one last time in the bottom of the ninth. With two away, Packard singled and Brown walked. However, Burleson hit into a fielder’s choice and Brown was forced out at second to end the game.
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LATZ FIRES GEM, LEADS WOODIES TO SWEEP OF RED SOX
Huff Blasts 19th Home Run as Woodies Win Seventh Straight
By Matt Present, Down East Wood Ducks
Kinston, N.C. – Jake Latz was sensational four the Wood Ducks Saturday night, firing seven scoreless innings to lead Down East to a, 7-0, shutout win of Salem, and a four-game series sweep.
Down East (39-17) has now won seven straight, and has won all seven meetings with the Red Sox (18-35) this season.
Julio Pablo Martinez opened the scoring for the Wood Ducks with a solo home run to right field, his fifth for the Woodies this season, and fourth in his last seven games played, putting Down East ahead, 1-0.
It would stay that way until the sixth, as Latz (win, 4-1) kept the Red Sox off balance all night. He matched a career-high with seven innings pitched, allowing just one hit, he walked two, and struck out nine, equaling his season-high. He faced just two over the minimum in the ballgame, and has allowed just two earned runs over his last 27 innings of work.
Down East padded the lead in the sixth against Daniel Gonzalez (loss, 1-6). Leody Taveras singled to lead off the inning, and then Ryan Dorow walked, and Diosbel Arias singled to load the bases. With Martinez batting, Taveras would come into score on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Martinez would then walk to re-load the bases, and Hasuan Viera came through with a triple into the right field corner to score all three, and widen the lead to 5-0. Taveras had two hits on the night, and now has reached base safely in 14 straight games.
Gonzalez went 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, he walked three, and struck out seven.
The Woodies added on a pair in the eighth. Arias led off the inning with a single to right-center, and Sam Huff followed by belting a hanging breaking ball for a home run to left, his fourth homer with the Woodies, and 19th of the season overall, increasing the lead to 7-0.
Michael Matuella worked around two singles to work a scoreless eighth inning for the Woodies, and then Wes Robertson fired a scoreless ninth to seal the win.
Down East hits the road tomorrow for a three game series with the Lynchburg Hillcats. Right-hander Reid Anderson (2-1, 3.77) will toe the slab for the Woodies, opposed by Lynchburg lefty Adam Scott (2-5, 3.63). First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and the broadcast will begin at 2:50 p.m. on 960AM The Bull, and online on 960thebull.com as well as the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio Apps.