3/12/2005 - Baseball
Baseball Swept in Doubleheader by East Carolina
Files associated with this release:
Navy-East Carolina Boxscore (Game One)
Navy-East Carolina Boxscore (Game Two)
Jonathan-Matthew Johnston belted a home run in Saturday's first game marking the first homer hit by a midshipman this season. |
Greenville, N.C. - East Carolina pulled off a doubleheader sweep of Navy Saturday at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C. The Pirates pulled out a 6-5 win in the bottom of the ninth inning in the first game and handed the Mids a 17-4 loss in the second contest.
The Pirates improved to 10-4 on the season with the pair of wins, while Navy fell to 3-7-1 and have lost four straight.
In the first game, East Carolina right fielder Harrison Eldridge drew a walk to leadoff the ninth and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Navy relief pitcher Tom Van Dam (Haworth, N.J.). Billy Richardson, who was at the plate when Eldridge advanced to third, followed two pitches later by lining a single to left field to drive in the winning run.
Despite suffering the loss, Van Dam (0-2) pitched four-plus innings yielding just that run and scattering five hits. Van Dam was aided by solid defense from the Midshipmen, who turned three double plays in the contest.
Offensively, junior Jonathan-Matthew Johnston (Hamilton Township, N.J.) went 4-for-5 with a home run and two runs batted in. Johnston's homer, an estimated 344-foot blast to right center field, was the first of the season for Navy.
Navy had several opportunities to pull out the win, but it left nine runners on base, including stranding Johnston in the ninth, who had led off the frame with a double to left field.
Pirates relief pitcher Kevin Rhodes (1-1) earned the win by pitching two scoreless innings.
Navy couldn't reverse its fortunes in the second game.
East Carolina scored in each of the first six innings, including a five-spot in both the fourth and sixth innings, to take control of the contest.
Junior Jared Munde (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.), sophomore Lewis Hobbs (Wilmington, N.C.) and freshman Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) each drove in a run for the Midshipmen, while senior Matt Lukevics (Tampa, Fla.) stroked a pair of hits.
Drew Costanzo drove in a game-high five runs on two hits for East Carolina. Mark Minicozzi and Ryan Pisel each added three RBIs for the Pirates.
The Mids and ECU will meet in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
