ECU Softball Wins Two At UConn To Complete Series Sweep

STORRS, Conn. – The ECU softball team completed its second-ever American Athletic Conference series sweep Saturday, winning both ends of a doubleheader over UConn 5-1 and 7-5 at Burrill Family Field. The Pirates won all three games against the Huskies for the second-straight season after doing so last year in Greenville as well.

Team Records

ECU – 19-24 (5-7 AAC)

UConn – 15-28 (2-10 AAC)

How it Happened (Game One)

After ECU stranded five runners on base in the first four innings, including two in scoring position in the top of the fourth, UConn scratched across the first run of the contest on a weak two-out infield single to grab a 1-0 advantage after four complete.

The Pirates took the lead in the top of the fifth. Seniors Meredith Burroughs and Alex Mycek drew walks before junior Ashley Weingartz shot a double down the left field line that scored Burroughs and knotted the score at one. Senior Karlie Smith then battled back from down 1-2 in the count and launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center field – a three-run home run that put ECU ahead 4-1. Redshirt sophomore Tate McClellan added a RBI double in the top of the seventh to provide the final four-run margin of victory.

Pitchers of Record

WP – Erin Poepping (9-10)

LP – Chelsea Eckert (1-4)

Top ECU Performers

Karlie Smith: 2-for-3, Run, 3 RBI, HR

Tate McClellan: 2-for-4, RBI, 2B

Erin Poepping: 7.0 IP, 1 Run, 6 Hits, 1 Walk, 5 Strikeouts

Top UConn Performers

Kiwi McDaniel: 1-for-1, RBI

Reese Guevarra: 1-for-3, Walk

How it Happened (Game Two)

A sacrifice fly off the bat of McClellan and a Weingartz RBI double staked the Pirates to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Huskies responded in kind with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. ECU pulled ahead for good in the top of the second, using a bit of two-out magic to score two runs and build a 4-2 cushion. With two away, freshman Tyler King was hit by a pitch then scored on a Ashleigh Inae double to right field. Burroughs then singled to center to score Inae and give the Purple and Gold the two-run edge.

UConn attempted to rally in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with no outs. Redshirt junior Ashley Cruise was summoned from the bullpen to put out the fire and she did just that – inducing a grounder that was thrown home for the force out and striking out the next two batters to keep the Pirates two-run lead intact.

Burroughs belted her 12th home run of the season to right center in the top of the sixth, a three-run bomb that extended the ECU advantage to 7-2. The long ball would prove decisive as the Huskies scored three runs in their final at bat but fell short of completing the comeback when Poepping retired the final batter of the game.

Pitchers of Record

WP – Whitney Sanford (8-10)

LP – Katie Koshes (3-6)

Top ECU Performers

Meredith Burroughs: 3-for-4, 2 Runs, 4 RBI, HR

Ashleigh Inae: 3-for-4, 3 Runs, RBI, 2B

Olivia Narron: 2-for-4

Top UConn Performers

Briana Marcelino: 3-for-4, 2 Runs, 2B

Emma Stanley: 1-for-2, Run, 2 RBI

Kelli Bates: 2-for-4

Things to Note

The Pirates improved to 9-3 all-time against UConn and have won six-straight in the series with the Huskies. ECU also improved to 4-2 in games played in Storrs.

Burroughs hit her 28th home run of her Pirate career, moving into fourth on the program top-10 list.

Freshman RHP Erin Poepping threw her fifth complete game of the season in game one then recorded her first collegiate save in the nightcap.

ECU posted double figures in the hit column for the seventh time this season third in AAC play.

The Pirates improved to 5-6 on the road in 2018.

Up Next: ECU makes the short trip to Chapel Hill Wednesday for a 5 p.m. non-conference contest against in-state foe North Carolina.