Turner Brown paced No. 14 ECU’s 14-hit attack going 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and scored twice as the Pirates completed the weekend sweep over Marist ,10-5, Sunday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win, the Pirates improve to 12-5 on the season while the Red Foxes drop to 4-8.
The Pirates broke a four-all tie in the third frame scoring four runs on five hits to take an 8-4 lead and never looked back. Brown tripled to right center with one out and scored two batters later on Ryder Giles RBI single to center. Lane Hoover reached on a strikeout-wild pitch and Giles moved to second before Bryant Packard singled through the right-side plating Giles. Brady Lloyd kept the inning going with a two-RBI single to right field that scored Giles and Hoover, while Spencer Brickhouse’s ground-rule double pushed across Packard.
Cam Colmore (1-0) earned the win in relief allowing one run (earned) on three hits with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Starter Trey Benton surrendered four runs (all earned) on five hits with a pair of walks and punch outs in 2.2 frames. Zach Barnes (1.0 IP, 2 Hs) and Giles (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) tossed the final three frames to secure the Pirates’ second series sweep of the year.
Conor McNamara (0-1) took the loss after being touched for six runs (all earned) on six hits with two strikeouts in two innings. Starter Trevor Backman allowed two runs (both earned) on three hits with one walk in one inning. Erubiel Candelario (3.0 IP, 4 Hs, 2 Rs, 1 BB, 2 Ks) and Nick Cantone (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) worked the final five innings out of the bullpen.
ECU scored a pair of runs in the first inning taking an early 2-0 lead. Packard walked to start the frame and took second on Lloyd’s single through the left side. With one away, Washer laced a single back up the middle plating Packard and moving Lloyd to second. Alec Burleson reached on a fielder’s choice and Lloyd scored on the next Pirate at-bat, which was a called balk by Backman.
Marist responded with two runs in the top of the second inning tying the game at two-all. Frankie Gregoire walked to get things started and moved to third on Reece Armitage’s double down the left field line. Robbie Armitage’s sac fly to right field pushed allowed Gregoire to score and moved Reece Armitage over to third. Brian Hart followed with an RBI single through the right side pulling the Red Foxes even with the Pirates.
But ECU returned serve with two runs in the home half of the frame regaining the lead, 4-2. Giles reached after he was hit by a pitch and Packard blasted a full-count offering from McNamara to right field, his second of the season.
The scoring continued as Marist tied the game once again at four-all in the third inning. Reece Armitage’s sac fly to left field scored Randy Taveras from third, who singled to start the stanza, stole second base and move to third on Tyler Kapuscinski’s fly out to left center. After a Pirate pitching change and runners on first and second, Hart singled back up the middle scoring Kapuscinski.
ECU extended its lead to 9-4 on Thomas Francisco’s RBI base hit right easily scoring Brown, who tripled to right field with one out.
Both teams traded runs in the sixth inning capping the scoring at 10-5.
Four Pirates tallied multiple in Brown (three), Francisco (two), Lloyd (two) and Packard (two). In all, nine players registered a hit on the afternoon. The trio of Giles, Lloyd and Packard drove in two runs each, while Packard (three), Brown (two) and Giles (two) scored multiple runs. Brown’s two triples tied an ECU single-game record and he is the first Pirate to accomplish that feat since Dwanya Williams-Sutton had two at Virginia in 2016.
Marist registered 11 hits in the contest with Hart going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Robbie Armitage added a pair of hits while driving in and scoring a run.
ECU returns to action on Tuesday, March 12 when it travels to play Duke at the DBAP with a 4 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.