WILMINGTON, N.C. ? East Carolina blistered UNCW Wilmington for 14 runs in the first five innings as the Pirates cruised past the Seahawks, 14-7, in college baseball action Tuesday at Brooks Field.
The 30th-ranked Pirates won their sixth straight overall and fourth straight over the Seahawks to improve to 33-13. The Seahawks, who were ranked 24th entering the game, saw their modest 4-game winning snapped and fell to 33-10-1.
Senior T.J. Hose (4-4), who made his first relief appearance of the season for ECU, picked up the win striking out three in 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Keying the Pirate offense were seniors Harrison Eldridge (3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB) and Jamie Ray (2-5, HR, 4 RBI).
ECU exploded for five quick runs in the top of the first as UNCW sophomore starter Jesse Haney (1-2), who was tagged with the loss, lasted just 1/3 of an inning. After Haney walked in a run, Ray delivered a grand slam to center field and that was all for Haney, who managed to walk three batters and allow two hits in his shortest career start.
In the Pirates' second inning a RBI single by junior Stephen Batts and a sacrifice fly by senior Corey Kemp off sophomore reliever Kyle Lewis pushed the lead to 7-0.
The Seahawks got two runs back in the bottom of the second when freshman Cody Stanley tripled in senior Mark Carver, who opened the inning with a walk, and senior Jes Snyder plated Stanley with a ground out.
ECU continued to knock around the Seahawk pitching staff as Ray led off with a double and sophomore Kyle Roller dumped a single into right to make it 8-2 Pirates in the third. ECU wasn't done in the inning as Eldridge lined a 2-run single, this time off senior reliever Allen Flood, into center to give the Pirates an insurmountable 10-2 lead.
Senior Daniel Hargrave, who finished 2-for-5, doubled in freshman Alex Hill, who drew a lead off walk in the third for the Seahawks.
ECU tacked on two more runs with two outs off Flood in the fourth when Harrington doubled to left center.
Carver connected on a 2-run homer in the fifth to make it 14-5. The roundtripper extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.
Carver later slammed another 2-run shot, this time off junior reliever Brett Butts, to cut UNCW's deficit to 14-7 in the eighth.
The Seahawks host George Mason in Colonial Athletic Association play on Friday for a 2 p.m. start.
Notes: Haney surrendered UNCW's first grand slam since the first game of the season (Feb. 23 Vs. Richmond) ... ECU starter Brad Mincey left the game in the second inning with a torn finger nail on his throwing hand ... mark Carver is now second on UNCW's single season home run list with 18 ... Cameron Roth fanned three in two innings of relief and lowered his ERA to 1.38 ... UNCW's last win over the Pirates was a 14-6 win in Greenville during the 2006 season ... Tonight's attendance was a season-high 3,202, the most since 2004 when the Pirates and Seahawks pulled in 3,257.
