Pirates Headed to Super Regional
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A trio of Pirates in Eric Tyler, Travis Watkins and Charlie Yorgen each blasted two-run homers lifting No. 3 seed East Carolina to an 8-4 win over No. 4 seed William & Mary to claim the Charlottesville Regional Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field.
With the win the Pirates improve to 37-21-1 and advance to their fourth Super Regional in school history and first since 2009. The Tribe, who won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, close out their season with a 31-31 overall record.
Watkins, who was named the Most Outstanding Player, tallied the game-winning hit with his two-run shot in the fifth inning that put ECU ahead for good at 6-4. For the red-shirt junior, it was his second game-winning hit (and homer) of the regional and seventh of the season (15th career). Tyler put the icing on the cake with a two-run blast of his own just two batters later, one of his four hits on the day, pushing the lead to 8-4.
Sam Lanier (2-1) picked up the win tossing five innings of shutout relief recording a career-high seven strikeouts with a walk and one hit. Starter Jacob Wolfe allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks in three innings. Chris Holba made his second appearance of the regional working one inning where he gave up one run (earned) on four hits with two strikeouts.
Charlie Fletcher (3-2) took the loss surrendering four runs (all unearned) on five hits with one strikeout in 2.1 innings. Starter Dan Powers was touched for four runs (all earned) on six hits in 2.1 frames. Jon Yoest (2.1 IP, 2 H) and Jason Waldman (1.0, 1 H) worked the final 3.1 innings of shutout relief.
For the third-straight game, ECU reached double-digit hits banging out 14 on the day. Eight of the Pirates starting nine recorded base knocks with Tyler leading the way going 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Bryce Harman, Watkins and Yorgen each added a pair, while Yorgen scored twice.
Charley Gould led the Tribe offensively going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Cullen Large was 2-for-4 with an RBI. In all, seven of William & Mary’s starters had a hit on the afternoon.
William & Mary jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning behind a sacrifice fly by Large that plated Zach Pearson and a RBI double by Gould pushed across Ryan Hall. Pearson started things off with a bunt single and took third on Hall’s single to left field. A sac bunt by Ryder Minconi moved Hall to second and Large followed with a fly ball to right field for a 1-0 lead. Gould stepped up to the plate and doubled down the left field line scoring Hall.
ECU answered with four runs in the bottom half of the third taking a 4-2 lead. Tyler and Harman reached on consecutive singles and two batters later, Parker Lamm laced a double down the left field line scoring both runners and tying the game at two-all. Yorgen belted his first home run of the depositing a 2-0 offering from Fletcher over the right field wall giving ECU its first lead of the game at 4-2.
The Tribe scratched and clawed back into the game scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth frames to draw even with the Pirates. Person plated the lone run in the fourth on a sac bunt that scored Josh Smith. In the fifth, Gould drove in his second run of the contest with a single to left field that pushed across Miconi for a four-all-tie.
ECU will now await its Super Regional opponent, which will come out of the Lubbock Regional.
Charlottesville All-Regional Team
*C – Travis Watkins, East Carolina
1B – Pavin Smith, Virginia
2B – Charlie Yorgen, East Carolina
SS – Daniel Pinero, Virginia
3B – Eric Tyler, East Carolina
OF – Garrett Brooks, East Carolina
OF – Adam Haseley, Virginia
OF – Ryan Hall, William & Mary
DH – Ryder Miconi, William & Mary
P – Evan Kruczynski, East Carolina
P – Nick Brown, William & Mary
* Denotes Most Outstanding Player
