ECU Rallies to Top Duke 8-6
DURHAM, N.C. – Travis Watkins’ two-RBI single in the eighth inning lifted No. 19 East Carolina to an 8-6 come from behind win over Duke Tuesday night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. With the win the Pirates improve to 14-7 overall, while the Blue Devils drop to 10-11.
Cam Colmore (2-0) picked up the win tossing 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with a walk and a strikeout. Joe Ingle notched his third save of the season working a perfect 1.2 innings with three strikeouts. Starter Nick Durazo allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in 2.1 innings. Evan Voliva (1.0 IP, 2 Rs) and Sam Lanier (1.2 IP, 1 R) bridged the gap to Colmore.
Nick Hendrix (1-1) suffered the loss on Duke’s staff night giving up three runs (all earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. Of the seven Blue Devil hurlers, only Jack Labosky (2.1 IP) and James Ziemba (1.0 IP) did not allow a run. Starter Kellen Urbon gave up one run (earned) on two hits in one inning of work.
ECU pounded out 15 hits getting multiple base knocks from Turner Brown (two), Bryce Harman (two), Kirk Morgan (three), Zack Mozingo (three) and Watkins (two). Watkins drove in a game-high three runs, while five others had one RBI.
Duke, who had seven hits in the contest, had just one from the fifth inning on. Cris Perez and Jalen Phillips led the way with two each, while Phillips drove in two of the Blue Devils six runs.
How It Happened: Trailing 6-5 going to the eighth inning, ECU scored three runs on four hits to take its second lead of the contest, 8-6. Jeff Nelson and Luke Bolka led off with consecutive singles before Day recorded the first out of the stanza. Nelson and Parker Lamm, who pinch ran for Bolka, moved up on wild pitch before Watkins doubled to left center clearing the bases. Morgan followed with a single to center putting runners on the corners and Eric Tyler pushed across Watkins with a sac bunt back to the pitcher.
Every time ECU scored a run in a frame, Duke would answer with one of its own. After the first inning the game was tied at one-all. ECU took a 2-1 lead in the third on Watkins’ RBI single that scored Nelson.
The Blue Devils responded with two runs in the bottom half of the third taking a 3-2 lead. Labosky had an RBI ground out and Perez laced an RBI double that plated Jimmy Herron.
ECU pushed across a run in the fourth on Brown’s RBI single tying the game at three-all, but Phillips’ two-RBI single to center gave Duke a 5-3 advantage. The Blue Devils added another run in the fifth extending their lead to 6-3 on a throwing error by the Pirates.
Mozingo and Harman had back-to-back RBI singles in the seventh pulling ECU within one, 6-5.
Up Next: ECU will return home for a three-game non-conference series against Jacksonville starting Thursday, March 24 at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch of the series is slated for 6:30 p.m. (ET).
