March 6, 2009
BSB: #24 EAST CAROLINA DOWNS DOLPHINS, 18-9, AT EAGLE
INVITATIONAL
Statesboro, Ga. - Trent Whitehead, Ryan Wood and Stephen Batts
combined for 10 hits and eight runs scored at the top of the
batting order to lead #24 East Carolina to an 18-9 win over the Le
Moyne College baseball team on Friday afternoon in the opening game
of the Holiday Inn Eagle Invitational hosted by Georgia Southern
University at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Senior shortstop Matt Nandin (North Syracuse,
N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) led the Le Moyne offense by
going 4-for-5 and scoring a pair of runs. Sophomore third baseman
Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square)
connected on his second home run of the season in a three hit, two
RBI performance, while senior catcher Chris Haynes
(Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) posted a pair of hits
and two RBI. Whitehead posted four hits as the leadoff hitter and
scored three runs. Wood and Batts each homered and doubled twice,
while Wood drove in four runs and scored twice and Batts scored
three times and drive in a pair of runners.
The Dolphins got on the scoreboard in the opening inning with a
pair of runs. Junior leftfielder Chris Edmondson (Johnson
City, N.Y./Johnson City) knocked in Nandin with a
sacrifice fly to left field and centerfielder Sean Paino
(Wappinger Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) plated freshman
right fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W.
Baker) on a groundout. The Pirates answered back with nine
runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Following a pair
of outs to begin the inning, the Pirates registered a double, a
walk and six consecutive singles before Wood blasted a two-run
homer to centerfield to cap the frame.
Le Moyne, which opened a 10-day road trip over the College's
Spring Break, evened the score with a pair of runs in the second, a
single run in the third and four runs in the fifth inning. Freshman
first baseman Joe Lombardi (Briarcliff Manor,
N.Y./Briarcliff) led off the second with a single and
Nandin followed with a single to left field two batters later.
Following a walk and a strikeout, Haynes doubled to right field to
plate Lombardi and Nandin. In the third, Marra singled to right to
open the frame, stole second and scored on a single up the middle
by senior second baseman Chris Murphy (Laurel Hollow,
N.Y./St. Dominic's). Marra followed a lead-off double by
Paino with a home run to center in the fifth inning. Following a
pitching change by East Carolina, junior designated hitter
Rich Brown (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) homered to left
center. After reaching on an error, Murphy moved to third on a
single by Nandin and scored on a failed pickoff attempt.
East Carolina responded with six runs in the bottom of the fifth
inning to take control of the contest. Following a ground out, the
Pirates loaded the bases on a pair of single around a double. The
Dolphins were able to induce a ground out, but Wood followed with a
two-run double down the left field line. Batts and Kyle Roller
walked around a Le Moyne pitching change before Henderson laced a
two-run single up the middle. Dustin Harrington capped the scoring
for the Pirates with a two-run single to left field.
The Pirates tacked on two runs in the sixth inning on a two-run
homer to left center to plate Whitehead. East Carolina closed out
the game's scoring with a single run in the bottom of the seventh
inning. Following a pair of outs, Whitehead singled to left field
and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Cameron Freeman then
followed with a run-scoring double to left field to deliver the
final score.
Le Moyne (2-4) returns to action at the Eagle Invitational on
Saturday against host Georgia Southern at 2:00 p.m.
-agate-
East Carolina 18, Le Moyne
9
Le Moyne
(2-4)
221 040
000
-
9 14 1
East Carolina (7-1)
900 062
10X
-
18 24 2
Le Moyne (2-4): Jeff Tardiff, Erik Lambe (5, L, 0-1), Mark Kuzma
(5), Derek Zielinski (5), Brandon Otto (7), Al Ondrako (8) and
Chris Haynes.
East Carolina (7-1): Seth Maness, Kevin Brandt (5, W, 2-0), Joe
O'Malley (8), Mike Wright (9) and Jared Avchen, Zach Wright (8).
