No. 11 ECU Baseball shuts out Tulane in series opener, 14-0

Nick Barber, Spencer Brickhouse, Seth Caddell and Bryant Packard each hit home runs, while Jake Agnos struck out nine as helping No. 11 ECU to a 14-0 American Athletic Conference series opening win over Tulane Friday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 32-10 on the season and 12-1 in league play, while the Green Wave drops to 26-15 and 8-4. ECU also extended its win streak to seven games and its home streak to 13-straight victories.

Brickhouse’s two-run homer in the first inning staked the Pirates to an early 2-0 lead and they never looked back. Lane Hoover was hit by a pitch with one out and Brickhouse crushed a 2-1 offering from Kaleb Roper over the right field wall for his team-leading 12th round tripper of the season.

Agnos (6-2) earned the win tossing five shutout innings where he allowed a pair of hits, walked five and struck out nine. The lefty became the seventh pitcher in school history to register 100 strikeouts in a single-season and first since Zach Woods in 2010 (103) when he fanned Luke Glancy to end the fifth inning. He tallied at least on punch out in all five frames with multiple in the second (three), third (two) and fifth (two). Zach Barnes gave up five hits and fanned two in two innings of work, while Garrett Saylor (0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) and Ryder Giles (1.2 IP, 1 K) worked the final two innings.

Roper (5-4) suffered the loss surrendering 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts in four innings. Ryan Green was touched for a pair of runs (both earned) on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk, while Landon Boeneke gave up two runs (both earned) on two hits in one inning.

ECU opened up the game scoring six runs on six hits coupled with a pair of Tulane errors in the third extending the lead to 8-0. Packard blasted a two-run homer scoring Giles in front of him to start the stanza. Hoover followed Packard’s shot with an infield single and Brickhouse walked putting runners on first and second for Alec Burleson, who ground out to Roper moving both runners into scoring position. Washer doubled down the right field line just out of the reach of Trevor Jensen clearing the bases. Two batters later Dusty Baker singled pushing across washer and advanced to second on an error by Kobi Owen on the play. Brady Lloyd’s double to right center scored Baker to cap the frame.

An RBI single from Washer and an RBI sac bunt by Turner Brown pushed the Pirates lead to 10-0 in the fourth inning. Hoover and Brickhouse drew opening frame walks and moved into scoring position on Burleson’s sac bunt. Washer followed with his second hit of the evening down the right field line plating Hoover and Brown’s bunt to first pushed across Brickhouse.

The Pirates added to their lead in the seventh scoring two runs pushing the lead to 12-0. Nick Barber singled to begin the inning and took second when Chandler Jenkins drew a walk. Connor Norby followed with his first career RBI single through the right side pushing across Barber and Giles’ fielder’s choice plated Jenkins accounting for the two runs.

ECU closed out the contest with two more runs in the eighth coming on solo home runs from Seth Caddell and Barber capping the scoring at 14-0.

The Pirates banged out 13 hits improving to 20-0 on the year when reaching double-digit base knocks. Ten players registered at least one hit with the trio of Barber, Packard and Washer each collecting a pair. ECU also had 10 hitters drive in at least one run with Washer leading the way with three, while Brickhouse and Packard also plated a pair.

Tulane tallied eight hits in the contest getting a pair from Jonathon Artigues, who was 2-for-4. The Green Wave left 15 runners on base and struck out 13 times.

The two clubs will return to the diamond on Saturday, April 27 for game two of the weekend series with a 4 p.m. (ET) first pitch.