Memphis Falls in Series Opener to ECU

Friday, April 15

FedExPark

6:30 PM

University of Memphis

12-22, 0

East Carolina

22-11, 0

East Carolina

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Apr 15, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Jake Little has three-hit night for Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – East Carolina scored two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull away from Memphis for an 8-1 win to open the series Friday night at FedExPark. The Tigers (12-22, 3-4 American) will try to even up the series with the Pirates (22-11, 4-3 American) Saturday at 2 p.m.

The game was tight through the first six innings with ECU holding onto a slim 2-1 lead before blowing it open in the seventh and eighth. Tigers' starting pitcher Colton Hathcock had a solid outing, logging six innings with two earned runs on nine hits.

Memphis opened the scoring in the second inning after Trent Turner doubled off the wall in left field with one out. Corey Chafin drove him in with a single through the left side of the infield to give the Tigers their only lead of the game, 1-0.

East Carolina started the top of the third with back-to-back singles but Hathcock was able to limit the damage allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly to center. Jake Little threw a runner out at the plate to end the inning and keep the score 1-1.

ECU was able to take the lead in the top of the fifth when Chris Carrier lost a ball in the lights in left field allowing a runner to get to second base with one out. A single by Charlie Yorgen drove the runner in to make the score 2-1.

The Tigers got runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning after singles by Chafin and Little but ECU starting pitcher Evan Kruczynski got out of the jam.

The Pirates extended the lead in the in the top of the seventh inning. An error at shortstop started the inning and a walk ended Hathcock's day on the mound.

Drew Crosby came in to pitch in relief and the Pirates advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Parker Lamm dropped down a squeeze bunt and two runs managed to come across the plate to make the ECU lead 4-1. ECU put the game out of reach with a four-run top of the eighth inning.