Tulane University
East Carolina
Green Wave Baseball Take Series With 4-3 Win
Apr 19, 2009 | Baseball
April 19, 2009
NEW ORLEANS- Tulane had all three components of the game of baseball working for them Sunday as they defeated #17 East Carolina in a 4-3 win that showcased fine pitching from starter Conrad Flynn, solid defense all around and a couple of big hits that were strung together to produce runs. The Green Wave continued their streak, having never lost a series to Conference USA-foe ECU, and improved their C-USA record to 5-7 (22-17, overall).
"We had great pitching in both the starting and relief roles and we had a big at bat from Schaffer and two plays from Josh Prince that were as good as you will see," head coach Rick Jones said. "We had to do some things to offset the fact that we didn't run the bases as well as we needed to and we had a break down there on a cutoff man."
Flynn went right to work, retiring the first two Pirate batters on quick ground ball outs but Brandon Henderson got the Pirates on the board with the solo shot to right field. Flynn didn't miss a beat, going back to get Kyle Roller. The righty sent the Pirates' designated hitter back to the bench with a called third strike to end the inning.
Flynn (4-3) and the Wave defense stayed strong in the second inning, getting Stephen Batts out on a ground ball to first baseman Sam Honeck. Honeck, charging on the play, shoveled the ball to Flynn at first to retire Batts. Devin Harris drew the walk and advanced to third when Drew Schieber took a pitch back up the middle. Schieber advanced to second on a throw to third but Flynn got more defensive help, this time from third baseman Matt Ryan, who caught a line drive off the bat of Dustin Harrington that potentially saved two runs. Flynn went on to take Zach Wright himself for the third out of the inning.
Flynn threw well in the third, putting Trent Whitehead and Ryan Wood in the book with strikeouts while leftfielder Evan Mistich contributed on defense, rushing the left field line on a ball that looked to be out of play. The wind blew it back in and Mistich made the nice snag to end the frame. Flynn continued dealing in the fourth, striking out the side to get the Wave back in the dugout where Scott Powell led off the inning with a base hit to left field.
Honeck (1-2, two BB) followed, lacing a double to right field to move Powell to third, bringing up Jeremy Schaffer. Schaffer took the first pitch he saw from starter Brad Mincey over the right field wall, giving Tulane the 3-1 lead. With one out, Seth Henry drew a walk and he added to the runs column when Mistich drove the ball to the gap in right-centerfield and after four full, the Wave enjoyed the 4-1 lead.
Tulane threatened again in the bottom of the fifth when Josh Prince picked up his first hit of the afternoon after driving the ball down the left field line for a double. Powell drew the walk, bringing up Honeck. ECU head coach Billy Godwin went to the pen, calling on Kevin Brandt to face the conference RBI leader. Prince was looking to third but the outside pitch to Honeck made the job of Pirates' catcher Wright that much easier as Prince was caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Brandt went on to issue the base on balls to Honeck but worked out of the jam, getting Schaffer to pop up to Wood at second for the final out of the inning.
Flynn picked up his career-high eighth strikeout in the top of seventh when he retired Schieber for the first out of the inning but the Pirates responded with another solo home run, this time off the bat of Harrington, with the ball just hitting the top of the yellow line on the right centerfield wall and it was 4-2 in the middle of the seventh.
Henderson made things exciting in the Pirate half of the eighth as he hit his second bomb of the game, again to right field, bringing ECU within one, 4-3. The long ball would end Flynn's solid afternoon with the sophomore throwing 104 pitches in 7.1 innings, striking out a career-high eight batters. Nick Pepitone entered the contest and got the ground ball to Honeck at first but Pepitone didn't hang on to the throw and Roller moved to second. Pepitone went back to work and got another ground ball, this time to Henry, who threw to Honeck for the second out of the inning, but the tying run in Roller moved to third on the play. Pepitone worked out of the jam, getting Harris to ground out to Prince to end the frame but the Pirates were closing in, 4-3.
Schaffer continued to swing the bat well for Tulane in the eighth, crushing the 2-1 pitch from Brandt to left field, but with the breeze blowing, the ball blew back towards the field where it bounced off the top of the wall and back in the field of play for the double. Allain followed and flew out to right, good enough to move Schaffer, who was tagging on the play, to third. ECU intentionally walked Henry to get to Mistich, a move that paid off, as Mistich was retired on strikes to end the eighth.
Pepitone returned to the mound in the ninth and got a quick ground ball out from Schieber. Pepitone threw another ground ball, this time to the left side where Prince dove in the hole snagging the ball and made the strong throw across the diamond to gun down Harrington to complete the webgem. Pepitone got the final out of the game on his third ground ball, this time fielding it himself and throwing to first to retire Whitehead and give Tulane the 4-3 victory and the C-USA series.
The Green Wave will stay busy with two midweek games on the schedule, as Tulane heads across town to take on the University of New Orleans on Tuesday and follows it up with a home version of the contest on Wednesday. First pitch for Tuesday's game at Maestri Field is slated for 6:30PM.
