No. 25 East Carolina wins series opener over Towson 9-4

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jake Agnos recorded his first collegiate win, while a trio of Pirates in Eric Tyler, Dwanya Williams-Sutton and Charlie Yorgen each added three hits helping No. 25 East Carolina to a 9-4 series opening win over Towson Friday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 15-8 on the season and the Tigers fall to 8-8.

Making his third start of the season, Agnos (1-0) picked up the win allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. Sam Lanier notched his first save of the year retiring all nine batters he faced (three via strikeout) in his three innings of bullpen work.

Dean Stramara (1-2) took the loss allowing four runs (all earned) on five hits with a strikeout in one-plus inning of work. Matt Allen was touched for three runs (all earned) in 3.2 frames, while Brandyn Vogtsberger surrendered a pair of runs (both earned) 2.1 innings. Alex Parker tossed an inning of shutout relief with one strikeout.

ECU out-hit Towson 15-8 on the evening with eight of the starting nine recording at least one hit and scoring a run. Tyler and Yorgen each drove in three runs, while Bryce Harman plated a pair on his two-hit night. Tyler laced three doubles in four plate appearances, while Travis Watkins scored a pair of runs.

Billy Lennox led the Tiger with three hits, while Richard Miller added a pair including a solo home run. Miller also scored a team-best two runs.

How It Happened:

ECU scored runs in five of its first six innings on its way to a 9-4 victory, which snapped a four-game home losing streak.

Towson took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Logan Burke’s RBI fielder’s choice that scored Colin Dyer, who singled through the left side with one out. Dyer took third when Richie Palacios reached on a fielding error by Turner Brown before coming home during Burke’s at-bat.

ECU answered in the home half of the first taking a 3-1 lead on four hits. Williams-Sutton led off with a single to right field and took second on a fielding miscue by Dyer. Yorgen followed with an RBI single to right center. With Watkins standing on first thanks to his fielder’s choice, Spencer Brickhouse doubled down the right field line putting runners at second and third with one out. Tyler then laced the first of his three doubles, a two-RBI shot, double down the left field line scoring both runners for a two-run advantage.

Yorgen’s two-RBI double pushed the Pirates lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the second. Andrew Henrickson singled, which was followed by a Dusty Baker walk to get the frame started. With one out, Yorgen ripped an Allen pitch to right-center clearing the bases.

Harman extended the Pirates lead to five, 6-1, in the bottom of the third. Brown tripled to right field with one out and came home on Harman’s single through the right side extending his hit streak to six games.

Towson plated two runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of singles pulling within three, 6-3. The Tigers drew consecutive one-out walks before Cuinn Mullins singled to right pushing across Colin Gimblet. Two batters later, Lennox’ infield single off Agnos’ glove scored Miller.

Harman delivered his second RBI of the game with an infield single that scored Tyler from third base in the bottom of the fifth extending ECU’s lead to 7-3.

Miller’s solo home run to right field, his first of the year, made it a 7-4 game in the top of the sixth inning.

ECU added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI sac fly by Brickhouse and another RBI double by Tyler capping the scoring at 9-4.

Up Next:

ECU and Towson will play game two of the series Saturday, March 25 with a 4 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.