East Carolina Splits Double-header with Connecticut on Saturday
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Tim Cate tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts, while Willy Yahn collected a game-high three hits helping UCONN even the American Athletic Conference weekend series with a 5-1 win over No. 20 East Carolina Saturday night in game two of a day-night doubleheader at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Huskies improve to 21-17 overall and 6-4 in league play, while the Pirates fall to 25-14 and 6-5.
Cate (2-1) allowed one run (earned) over his seven strong frames giving up five hits and walking one. He retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced before turning the ball over to Patrick Ruotolo, who notched his fourth save of the year. The right-hander tossed two innings of shutout relief setting the Pirates down in order in both frames.
Jimmy Boyd (5-3) took the loss surrendering three runs (all earned) on six hits with a pair of walks, four punch outs and two wild pitches. Matt Bridges (0.2 IP, 1 K), Sam Lanier (0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) and Chris Holba (0.1 IP) had scoreless outings for the Pirates, while Denny Brady gave up two runs (both earned) on three hits in two-third of an inning.
Yahn recorded three of UCONN’s 10 hits, while Joe DeRoche-Duffin and John Toppa each added a pair of base knocks. Toppa scored two of the Huskies five runs, while Bryan Daniello, Zac Susi and Yahn each drove in a run.
Turner Brown, Parker Lamm, Eric Tyler (double), Travis Watkins and Dwanya Williams-Sutton accounted for all five of ECU’s hits in the contest. Tyler had the lone RBI plating Lamm in the third stanza.
How It Happened: Trailing 1-0 going to the seventh frame, UCONN scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead – its first of the series. DeRoche-Duffin got things going with a one-out single and moved over to third two batters later on Tyler Gnesda’s shot to left field line. Toppa followed with a double down the right field line plating DeRoche-Duffin and tying the game at one-all. The first of two Boyd wild pitches accounted for the go-ahead run pushing across Gnesda which put runners on second and third. Another wild pitch scored Toppa making it a 3-1 ball game.
ECU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Tyler’s RBI double. Lamm laced a single to right center and came around to score on Tyler’s perfectly executed hit and run down the right field line.
UCONN extended its lead to four, 5-1, with a pair of runs in the ninth inning to cap the scoring. Aaron Hill had a one-out double that pushed across Toppa and Yahn drove in Hill on his single to right field with two outs.
GAME ONE
Eric Tyler’s bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning gave No. 20 East Carolina a 2-1 walk-off win over UCONN Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium in game one of the day-night doubleheader. With the win the Pirates improve to 25-13 overall and 6-4 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Huskies drop to 20-17 and 5-4.
Joe Ingle (5-3) picked up the win in relief tossing 2.2 scoreless frames where he allowed one hit and struck out two. Starter Evan Kruczynski, who worked into the eighth inning for the fifth time this season (third-straight game), went 7.1 innings allowing one run (unearned) on five hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. The lefty registered his ninth quality start of the year in 10 appearances.
Randy Polonia (2-2) suffered the loss surrendering one run (earned) with three walks and one strikeout in 1.2 innings. Anthony Kay gave up one run (earned) on three hits with three walks and tied his career-high with 10 punch-outs in a no-decision.
ECU managed just three hits on the day getting singles from Garrett Brooks, Turner Brown and Travis Watkins. Brown and Tyler each drove in runs in the contest with Tyler’s game-winning RBI coming in the 10th – his second career walk-off RBI.
Jack Sundberg registered two of UCONN’s six hits, while four others added one. Bobby Melley drove in Sundberg for the Huskies lone run of the contest.
ECU picked up its third extra-inning win of the season when Brady Lloyd scored the game-winner on Tyler’s bases loaded walk in the 10th. Kirk Morgan started the frame with a pinch-hit walk and was immediately lifted for Lloyd as a pinch runner. Brown dropped a bunt down moving Lloyd into scoring position and with two outs, Brooks (intentional) and Jeff Nelson loaded the bases with consecutive walks setting up the game-winning run.
ECU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Brown’s RBI double. With two away, Dwanya Williams-Sutton walked and came around to score on Brown’s extra base hit to right center.
UCONN tied the game at one-all in the eighth on Melley’s base hit through the right side. Sundberg drew a one-out walk and took third when Willy Yahn reached on a Tyler throwing error putting runners on the corners. Melley stepped in and drove a 2-1 offering from Kruczynski through the right side plating Sundberg.
The two teams resume action Sunday afternoon at 12:30 at Clark-LeClair Stadium for the rubber match of this weekend's ECU-UConn series.
