ECU earns split with Southern Miss

The Pirates baseball team takes the second game after losing the opener in 13

It took 22 innings over two games, but the East Carolina baseball team finally earned its 20th victory of the season.

After losing 6-5 in 13 innings on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the first game of a doubleheader against host Southern Mississippi on Saturday, the Pirates responded with a 4-2 victory in the second game at Pete Taylor Park.

In the second game, No. 24 ECU (20-9, 4-4 Conference USA) scored three runs in the top of the first inning off pitcher Barry Bowden, who threw 46 pitches before leaving the game with a injury to his shoulder in the third.

ECU's Harrison Eldridge led off the game with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Eldridge scored on a infield single by Ryan Wood. Stephan Batts doubled down the left-field line, and a fielding error by first baseman Adam Doleac allowed the second run of the inning to score. ECU executed a safety squeeze to score the third run of the inning.

With the score 3-2, ECU added its final run in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Wood, scoring Trent Whithead.

In the first game, ECU scored three runs in the top of the 12th inning to take a 5-2 lead, but Southern Miss rallied to tie it in the bottom of the 12th before winning it in the 13th. Wood, a shortstop, committed five of the Pirates' six errors in the loss.

ALSO SATURDAY

MORE BASEBALL

BOSTON COLLEGE 3-6, DUKE 2-0: Terry Doyle held Duke to two runs over seven innings in the first game, and Dan Houston followed with seven innings of four-hit ball in the second game to lead the host Eagles (15-4, 4-10 ACC) to a doubleheader sweep of the Blue Devils (21-9, 4-9).

Duke received a solid outing from Andrew Wolcott (2-3) in the first game, but could not provide enough run support to overcome a two-run fifth that put BC ahead 3-2. Both runs were unearned.

Freshman shortstop Jake Lemmerman led Duke offensively with four hits and an RBI on the day, while sophomore outfielder Alex Hassan picked up a pair of hits and two walks in his return to his home state of Massachusetts. Second baseman Gabriel Saade contributed a pair of stolen bases and is 11-of-11 on stolen base attempts this season.

NOTES

POSTPONEMENTS: The weather wreaked havoc with Saturday's baseball schedule as several games were postponed, including:

* GEORGIA TEACH AT UNC: The third-ranked Tar Heels and 14th-ranked Yellow Jackets will play a doubleheader, beginning at 11 a.m. today at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex.

* WAKE FOREST AT N.C. STATE The Demon Deacons and Wolfpack will play a doubleheader today, beginning at 1 p.m.

* CAMPBELL AT NORTH FLORIDA: The Camels had a 10-4 lead after five complete innings, then a severe weather system moved into the Jacksonville, Fla., area, causing the doubleheader to be postponed. The conclusion of the first game and the entire second game wil be played Monday, starting at noon.