ECU softball drops pair at Fresno State Bulldog Classic

East Carolina began the Bulldog Classic Friday with a 7-0 loss to UC Davis and an 8-5 setback to No. 25 Fresno State at the Margie Wright Diamond.

The Pirates drop to 11-9 overall heading into Saturday’s doubleheader with UC Davis (Noon) and BYU (5:30 p.m.)

Junior infielder Ashleigh Inae recorded the game’s first hit with a one-out single up the middle, but a double play would end the half inning. UC Davis struck first in the home half of the first with a leadoff home run off the bat of Alyse Rojas. The Aggies then struck again with two outs when Riley Siegel hit a solo long ball over the fence in center.

UC Davis kept the offense going in the bottom of the second. Sarah Starks lined a leadoff double to left field before Marissa Jauregui homered to left to give the Aggies a 4-0 advantage. With Kama Woodall in the circle to begin the third inning, Marisa Given extended the UC Davis cushion to six with a two-run double.

The Aggies capped the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with an unearned run as East Carolina could not scratch across a run in the seventh.

For the Pirate offense, Inae was 2-for-3 with a double to her credit while freshman outfielder Logyn Estes rapped out a pair of base hits herself. A total of four UC Davis batter recorded two hits apiece as the Aggies out-hit ECU 10-5. East Carolina also committed a pair of errors.

Junior RHP Erin Poepping (3-4) was saddled with the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits with no walks or strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. Katie Kibby (7-4) tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering five hits and notching three strikeouts.

Senior outfielder Olivia Narron reached on an error by the Fresno State shortstop before stealing second base and moving to third on a groundout. With two outs, junior infielder Chandley Garner came through with a single through the right side that plated Narron for the game’s first run. Redshirt senior utility Tate McClellan followed with an RBI single to make the score 2-0 in favor of ECU through the first half inning of play.

The Bulldogs answered back in the home half of the first. Freshman RHP Logyn Estes notched a quick two first outs but could not close the door as a walk and a hit batter led to a two-run double off the bat of Miranda Rohleder before Alesia Denby hit a two-run home run to propel Fresno State to a 4-2 advantage.

The home team pulled further in front in the bottom of the third. Kaitlyn Jennings hit her fourth triple of the season to the gap in right center before scoring on a groundout. Estes would retire the final two Bulldog batters to keep the Pirates within three runs going to the fourth.

East Carolina was able to pull even in the top of the fourth. Redshirt senior utility Rachel McCollum ripped a leadoff double to right center before McClellan hit a double of her own inside the left field line to score pinch runner Faith Jarvis. Another two runs would come across off a fielder’s choice play and an RBI groundout, putting the score at five after four frames.

The back and forth encounter continued in the bottom of the fifth when Fresno State plated three runs off a pair of doubles to leap in front 8-5. Freshman outfielder Sydney Yoder tripled in the top of the seventh for her first collegiate hit, but she would stay stranded there to end the game.

McClellan was 2-for-3 with two RBI to pace the Pirate offensive attack with McCollum extended her current hitting streak to 10 games with the two-bagger in the fourth inning. Garner added a hit and two runs scored. Rohleder drove in four runs and notched a pair of doubles for the home side.

Estes (6-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs on five hits in four innings. Dariana Orme (4-0) hurled a complete game as the winning pitcher, surrendering five runs on six hits with three strikeouts.