No. 20 ECU's Fast Start Downs Tigers, 9-1

Friday, May 15

Greenville, N.C.

5:00 PM

University of Memphis

21-31, 7-15

@ East Carolina

40-15, 16-7

Memphis

East Carolina

May 15, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

May 15, 2009

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. -

No. 20 East Carolina 9, Memphis 1

Memphis (21-31, 7-15 C-USA)                 100 000 000 - 1  6 1
#20 East Carolina (40-15, 16-7 C-USA)       440 001 00X - 9 13 0

No. 20 East Carolina raced out to a seven-run lead after two innings and Seth Maness fanned six in seven innings to improve to 9-0 as the Pirates clinched the C-USA series with a 9-1 win over Memphis, Friday evening at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Pirates won their 40th game of the year against just 15 losses, while moving to 16-7 in C-USA play. Memphis drops to 21-31, 7-15 in league play. Despite tonight's loss, UCF dropped a 6-3 decision to Houston, giving Memphis one final opportunity to earn an appearance in the C-USA Tournament, to be held in Hattiesburg, Miss., May 20-24. The last chance comes tomorrow, Sat., May 16, when the two clubs meet for the series finale at 11 a.m. EST at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Freshman second baseman Adam McClain gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first when he clubbed his sixth home run of the year over the rightfield wall. The homer was McClain's fourth first-inning blast of the year.

That would be the only run of the night for Memphis, as well as its only lead.

After giving up the solo shot to McClain, Maness went on to hold the Tigers scoreless over the next six innings. He then handed the ball to Patrick Somers, who tossed one scoreless frame and Mike Wright closed the game out with a scoreless ninth.

Stephen Batts put ECU on top for good with a three-run home run to power a four-run first inning and homers by Brandon Henderson and Drew Schieber highlighted a four-run second that made it an 8-1 game in favor of the Pirates.

ECU tacked on a ninth run in the sixth for the 9-1 final.

Tigers starter Brennon Martin was touched up for nine runs on 13 hits, but helped save the Memphis bullpen with a gutsy 5.1-inning effort. Dane Sharp struck out two and was perfect over the final 2.2 innings.