ECU shuts out Maryland 3-0

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Trey Benton and Ryan Ross combined for 12 strikeouts and helped No. 17 ECU to a 4-0 shutout of Maryland Friday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. Turner Brown and Bryant Packard combined to drive in all four runs in their first games back to the Pirates lineup. With the win, the Pirates improve to 14-4 and the Terrapins fall to 9-8.

How It Happened:

ECU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to Packard's two-RBI base hit. Brady Lloyd reached on an error to start the frame and moved to second on Chandler Jenkins' single through the right side. Dusty Baker dropped down a bunt between home plate and the mound allowing the runners to advance into scoring position where the both would cross home on Packard's shot back up the middle. Brown put the Pirates up three, 3-0, in the fifth inning with a long sac fly to center that scored Jenkins, who led off with a single through the right side. Baker followed with a double putting two runners into scoring position before Brown's one-out fly ball. Brown capped the scoring on the day belting a solo home run to right field in the eighth inning for a 4-0 ball game.

Godwin's Take:

"I didn't think Trey looked comfortable early on but the big play of the game was (Andrew) Henrickson's grab in the first robbing them of a home run. That goes over the wall, then we are down two early in the game. Then Trey settled in and pitched really well. They battled all seven innings he was out there and then Ryan comes in and gets the ground ball to second with the bases loaded to get us out of the inning. He was flooding the zone with three pitches. The pitching staff dominant with 12 strikeouts and didn't walk anyone."

Pirate Pitchers:

Benton (4-1) worked 6.2 scoreless frames allowing nine hits and striking out eight, while Ross tossed 2.1 innings of shutout relief with four strikeouts and gave up one hit.

Terrapins Staff:

Taylor Bloom (2-3) suffered the loss despite tossing a complete game where he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and five punch outs.

ECU's Bats:

Jenkins led the Pirates with a pair of hits, while Baker, Brown and Packard each had one. Brown and Packard each plated a pair of runs, while Jenkins scored twice on the night. Brown and Lloyd also crossed home in the contest.

Player of the Game:

Ross tied a career-high with four strike outs in the game. The lefty entered the game in the seventh with the bases loaded and got Marty Costes to ground out to second base ending Maryland's threat. Ross came back out for the eighth allowing a one-out single while striking out the side. For the ninth, he got a ground to short, another strikeout and a fly ball to right field to notch his first career save.

Things To Know:

Andrew Henrickson made a home run robbing catch to end the top of the first inning, his second career theft …

Packard recorded his fourth multi-RBI game of the season with his two-RBI single in the third …

Jake Washer extended his on-base streak to 11 games with a walk in the fourth (had two free passes on the night) …

Jenkins recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season with his second single through the right side in the fifth …

Brown notched his second multi-RBI game of the season with two on the night ...

Tonight's shutout was the third of the season for the Pirates …

Up Next:

ECU and Maryland will return to Clark-LeClair Stadium on Saturday, March 17 with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. (ET).