GREENVILLE, N.C. – Highlighted by back-to-back home runs by Ben Newton and Connor Norby, No. 17 East Carolina scored three runs in the fifth inning and claimed a series win against Appalachian State, 5-2. With the win the Pirates improve to 8-2 on the season, while the Mountaineers fall to 6-4.
Trailing 2-0, Newton blasted his first home run as a Pirate with a solo shot to right field to lead off the fifth. Norby followed with his third home run in four games with a no-doubter to left field knotting the game at two-all. Zach Agnos drew walk, Thomas Francisco singled up the middle putting runners on the corners for Alec Makarewicz, who laced an RBI single through the right side for the would-be game-winning run.
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Gavin Williams (1-0) earned the win tossing four shutout innings in relief where he walked a pair and struck out three. For the right, who retired 10-straight at one point, it was his longest outing on the mound since working five innings in a start at Mississippi State on March 5, 2019. C.J. Mayhue worked the ninth retiring all three batters he faced earning his first collegiate save. Starter Jake Kuchmaner allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits with a walk and a strikeout in four inning.
Quinton Martinez (2-1) suffered the loss giving up all three runs in the fifth on five hits with four walks and three punch outs in four-plus innings. Noah Hall also went four innings giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits while walking four and fanning three out of the bullpen.
For the second consecutive game of the weekend the Mountaineers jumped on the board first scoring a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Bailey Welch led off with a single to center and took third on Andrew Terrell’s ground-rule double to left field. An RBI ground out by Luke Drumheller plated the first run and moved Terrell to third before Phillip Cole’s sac fly to right pushed him across.
ECU added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings capping the scoring at 5-2. With Bryson Worrell on first and Makarewicz standing on third after a pair of walks and a fielder’s choice, Worrell got caught in a rundown trying to swipe second allowing Makarewicz to score before Worrell was tagged out at first base. Agnos’ RBI groundout in the eighth scored Newton for the final run of the contest.
Norby led the Pirates nine-hit attack going for 4-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Newton added a pair of hits tying his career-high, which was set last year against Georgia Southern (Feb. 23). Francisco, Makarewicz and Moylan also collected base knocks on the day. As a whole, ECU drew eight free passes pushing its weekend total to 17. Agnos (three) and Seth Caddell (two) combined for five of the walks on Saturday.
ECU and App State will close out the three-game set on Sunday, March 7 with a 1 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch with the broadcast being streamed on ECUPirates.com.
Post-Game Notes:
For the third-straight game, ECU’s opponent scored first when Welch crossed home on Drumheller’s RBI ground out to first in the third inning … The Pirates improved to 2-1 on the season when opponents scored first (68-74 all-time under head coach Cliff Godwin) … When ECU scores first, it owns a 154-41 (6-1 in 2021) ledger in Godwin’s seven years.
Connor Norby extended his hit and on-base streak to 17-straight games with his double down the right-field line in the first inning … He registered his team-leading eighth multi-hit game of the season and 16th of his career …
Zach Agnos extended his on-base streak to nine consecutive games with his walk in the opening frame and drew a career-best three walks …
Thomas Francisco owns a 10-game hitting streak, which was extended in the fifth inning …
With the win, the Pirates improved to 39-14 all-time in the Keith LeClair Classic …
