East Carolina Defeats NC State Baseball, 13-1

Saturday, February 26

Charleston, S.C.

11:00 AM

NC State

9-2

East Carolina

4-3

East Carolina

NC State

2/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 26, 2005

Final Stats

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Adam Witter's grand-slam homer capped a six-run third inning, and three East Carolina pitchers combined on a six-hitter Saturday as the Pirates defeated NC State 13-1 in the second day of action at the Homewood Suites Shootout at Riley Park. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Wolfpack, which dropped to 9-2. ECU moved to 4-3 with the win.

Mike Flye (3-0) started and got the win for the Pirates with 5 1/3 shutout innings of work. He allowed three hits, walked three, hit a batter, and struck out four. Flye, far from dominant, did not retire the side in order once in his five-plus innings, but proved to be very effective at dodging bullets and slipping punches. The first or second NC State hitter reached base in each of the first six innings, but Flye wriggled off the ropes each time, thanks in part to three ECU double plays. He did not allow a Wolfpack baserunner past second base.

NC State starter Jeff Stallings (2-1) pitched well to eight of the nine East Carolina hitters in the lineup, but not to Witter. Stallings wound up allowing six runs on five hits in four innings. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out three. Of the five hits he allowed, one was a slow roller through the infield and two were bloops just over the infield. Witter, on the other hand, belted a double into the gap in left-center in the second inning and the game-breaking grand slam in the third.

Mark Minicozzi also hurt the Wolfpack, going 4-for-6 with a double and three RBIs, and Mike Grace had two hits and two RBIs in five at-bats. Jake Muyco was the lone Wolfpack player with multiple hits, including the Pack's only RBI.

Stallings rolled through the first two innings and appeared to be in command. He retired the side in order in the first, and allowed only the double to Witter in the second. But the Pirates broke open a scoreless tie with six runs in the top of the third. Harrison Eldridge drew a one-out walk and Billy Richardson got a slow roller through the right side of the infield for a single. With two down, Minicozzi dunked a hit into shallow left field to drive in Eldridge and give ECU a 1-0 lead. On a hit-and-run play, Stallings hit Grace with a pitch to load the bases, and Jake Smith worked a seven-pitch walk to force in Richardson with the second run of the inning. Witter then made it 6-0 when he unloaded on a two-strike fastball for a grand slam to right field.

Reliever Travis High came in for the Wolfpack in the fifth and kept the Pirates at bay until the top of the seventh. Minicozzi opened with a single to center and Grace doubled to the wall in left. Jake Smith got Minicozzi home with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 7-0. High allowed just the one run in 2 2/3 innings.

Eldridge led off the top of the eighth and singled to left. Richardson was hit by a pitch and Costanzo walked to load the bases with none out. Minicozzi doubled into the right-field corner to drive in two runs, and Grace followed with a double to left to drive in two more, pushing the ECU lead to 11-0.

NC State averted the shutout with a run in the bottom of the eighth. P:inch-hitter Jason St. Julien drew a one-out walk, and Aaron Bates singled to left to put runners on first and second. St. Julien went to third on Mike Jensen's fly ball to deep right and scored on Muyco's RBI single to left.

The Pirates added two more in the top of the ninth on Costanzo's two-run homer to right-center.

NC State will conclude play in the Homewood Suites Shootout on Sunday vs. West Virginia. Game time has been moved up to 10 a.m. to avoid expected bad weather in the Charleston area. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on gopack.com through Yahoo's subscription service. Live in-game stats will be available on gopack.com through the Gametracker.