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Pirates split last two games with South Florida
From USF and ECU wire reports
TAMPA -- Battling flu-like symptoms, David Austen remained perfect at home in his career and led South Florida past East Carolina 11-4 Saturday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
The senior right-hander from Coconut Creek has made 10 starts in his two seasons at USF and he improved to 10-0 in those games. No losses or no-decisions are on his Red resume.
Along the way he lowered his ERA in those games to 1.33 as he allowed just one run in seven innings. He is 7-0 at home this spring with a 1.01 ERA.
"He was under the weather today," said USF coach Eddie Cardieri, "but he sure was on top of his game."
Austen (7-1) allowed the lead-off hitter to reach base in four of the first five innings but he left two stranded; one was caught stealing third and the other scored on a controversial play at the plate when catcher Devin Ivany appeared to apply the tag in front of the plate but was ruled safe.
"Sometimes they were hitting good pitches and sometimes I was making bad pitches and that's going to happen," said Austen who did not walk a batter and admitted that he felt worse following the win than prior to it. "But once that happens I just have to bear down and make good pitches and induce a double play."
USF (20-11, 5-4 Conference USA) led 3-1 after three innings and then scored six runs with two outs and no one on base in the fifth to take command 9-1.
"We scored six runs with two outs and that says a lot about the team and about the heart and the character that they played with because we lost a one-run game in 15 innings last night and that's a tough loss," said Cardieri. "We bounced back from it and played a good game. It was important to get an early lead."
Lead-off hitter Mike Cunningham was 4-for-5 with two doubles and scored two runs to lead the lineup. His biggest hit was a two-out double into left-center field that scored two runs in the fifth and gave the Bulls their cushion.
"It makes a big difference in our team, doesn't it?" asked Cardieri. "When he goes south and he's 0-for-4 and 0-for-5, it's almost like as he goes, we go. When the top of the lineup produces, Myron Leslie and Jeff Baisley and Devin Ivany are coming up."
Cunningham is 7-for-11 in the first two games of the series.
Travis Brown provided some punch at the bottom of the lineup from the eight-hole. The junior left fielder was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.
"Travis Brown was tremendous and he had a great ballgame," said Cardieri. "He hit the ball very hard."
The game turned in the fifth after Leslie flied out and Baisley struck out. Ivany singled and Kris Howell drew a walk. Ronnie Handley singled to score Ivany and the hit was the first of five straight in the inning.
Brown singled home Howell, Mike Choquette singled home Handley and Cunningham brought Brown and Choquette in with his 12th double of the season. Bryan Hierlmeier had been 1-for-10 in the series but his single, USF's sixth hit of the frame, scored Cunningham.
ECU (20-11-1, 7-4) scored three runs in the eighth to cut USF's lead to 9-4.
The loser was Pirate starter Neal Sears (2-3), who was roughed up for nine runs (all earned) on 12 hits through 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.
The series concludes today at noon.
Pirates win in 15 innings
TAMPA, Fla. -- East Carolina starter Davey Penny entered the game with a streak of 30 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, but it was his bullpen that South Florida couldn't figure out in the Conference USA series opener Friday night at Red McEwen Field.
The Pirates (20-10-1, 7-3) scored a run in the top of the 15th inning to take a 5-4 victory after relievers Glenn Tucker and Greg Bunn shut down USF over the game's final 8 2/3 innings. Tucker allowed three hits in 7 1/3 innings in relief of Penny, C-USA's Pitcher of the Week, and Bunn (3-1) worked a hitless 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.
The 15-inning marathon equalled the longest game in ECU history. The only other Pirate game to go 15 innings came in 1979 against North Carolina -- also an ECU win.
Jamie Paige led off the 15th with a single back to the mound and Darryl Lawhorn followed with a single up the middle. Paige advanced to third on Lawhorn's hit and scored when Mike Harrington hit into a double play.
USF (19-11, 4-4) took an early lead with a pair of first-inning runs. Mike Cunningham led off the game with a walk and a Bryan Hierlmeier single into left field. Myron Leslie's sacrifice put both runners into scoring position and Jeff Baisley delivered a two-RBI single into center field.
Darryl Lawhorn's solo home run in the sixth cut USF's lead in half, but the Bulls came back with two in the bottom of the inning. Leslie hit a one-out home run over the left-field fence and Ronnie Handley singled home Devin Ivany as USF built a 4-1 lead.
USF starter Jon Uhl couldn't hold onto it, however. He issued walks to John Poppert and Mike DeJesus, sandwiched around a Mark Minicozzi single, as ECU loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. A wild pitch scored Poppert and Paige singled with two outs to score DeJesus and Minicozzi and tie the game at 4-all.
The loser was Livingston (0-3), who worked a career-high 5 1/3 innings.
TAMPA -- Battling flu-like symptoms, David Austen remained perfect at home in his career and led South Florida past East Carolina 11-4 Saturday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
The senior right-hander from Coconut Creek has made 10 starts in his two seasons at USF and he improved to 10-0 in those games. No losses or no-decisions are on his Red resume.
Along the way he lowered his ERA in those games to 1.33 as he allowed just one run in seven innings. He is 7-0 at home this spring with a 1.01 ERA.
"He was under the weather today," said USF coach Eddie Cardieri, "but he sure was on top of his game."
Austen (7-1) allowed the lead-off hitter to reach base in four of the first five innings but he left two stranded; one was caught stealing third and the other scored on a controversial play at the plate when catcher Devin Ivany appeared to apply the tag in front of the plate but was ruled safe.
"Sometimes they were hitting good pitches and sometimes I was making bad pitches and that's going to happen," said Austen who did not walk a batter and admitted that he felt worse following the win than prior to it. "But once that happens I just have to bear down and make good pitches and induce a double play."
USF (20-11, 5-4 Conference USA) led 3-1 after three innings and then scored six runs with two outs and no one on base in the fifth to take command 9-1.
"We scored six runs with two outs and that says a lot about the team and about the heart and the character that they played with because we lost a one-run game in 15 innings last night and that's a tough loss," said Cardieri. "We bounced back from it and played a good game. It was important to get an early lead."
Lead-off hitter Mike Cunningham was 4-for-5 with two doubles and scored two runs to lead the lineup. His biggest hit was a two-out double into left-center field that scored two runs in the fifth and gave the Bulls their cushion.
"It makes a big difference in our team, doesn't it?" asked Cardieri. "When he goes south and he's 0-for-4 and 0-for-5, it's almost like as he goes, we go. When the top of the lineup produces, Myron Leslie and Jeff Baisley and Devin Ivany are coming up."
Cunningham is 7-for-11 in the first two games of the series.
Travis Brown provided some punch at the bottom of the lineup from the eight-hole. The junior left fielder was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.
"Travis Brown was tremendous and he had a great ballgame," said Cardieri. "He hit the ball very hard."
The game turned in the fifth after Leslie flied out and Baisley struck out. Ivany singled and Kris Howell drew a walk. Ronnie Handley singled to score Ivany and the hit was the first of five straight in the inning.
Brown singled home Howell, Mike Choquette singled home Handley and Cunningham brought Brown and Choquette in with his 12th double of the season. Bryan Hierlmeier had been 1-for-10 in the series but his single, USF's sixth hit of the frame, scored Cunningham.
ECU (20-11-1, 7-4) scored three runs in the eighth to cut USF's lead to 9-4.
The loser was Pirate starter Neal Sears (2-3), who was roughed up for nine runs (all earned) on 12 hits through 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.
The series concludes today at noon.
Pirates win in 15 innings
TAMPA, Fla. -- East Carolina starter Davey Penny entered the game with a streak of 30 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, but it was his bullpen that South Florida couldn't figure out in the Conference USA series opener Friday night at Red McEwen Field.
The Pirates (20-10-1, 7-3) scored a run in the top of the 15th inning to take a 5-4 victory after relievers Glenn Tucker and Greg Bunn shut down USF over the game's final 8 2/3 innings. Tucker allowed three hits in 7 1/3 innings in relief of Penny, C-USA's Pitcher of the Week, and Bunn (3-1) worked a hitless 1 1/3 innings to earn the win.
The 15-inning marathon equalled the longest game in ECU history. The only other Pirate game to go 15 innings came in 1979 against North Carolina -- also an ECU win.
Jamie Paige led off the 15th with a single back to the mound and Darryl Lawhorn followed with a single up the middle. Paige advanced to third on Lawhorn's hit and scored when Mike Harrington hit into a double play.
USF (19-11, 4-4) took an early lead with a pair of first-inning runs. Mike Cunningham led off the game with a walk and a Bryan Hierlmeier single into left field. Myron Leslie's sacrifice put both runners into scoring position and Jeff Baisley delivered a two-RBI single into center field.
Darryl Lawhorn's solo home run in the sixth cut USF's lead in half, but the Bulls came back with two in the bottom of the inning. Leslie hit a one-out home run over the left-field fence and Ronnie Handley singled home Devin Ivany as USF built a 4-1 lead.
USF starter Jon Uhl couldn't hold onto it, however. He issued walks to John Poppert and Mike DeJesus, sandwiched around a Mark Minicozzi single, as ECU loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. A wild pitch scored Poppert and Paige singled with two outs to score DeJesus and Minicozzi and tie the game at 4-all.
The loser was Livingston (0-3), who worked a career-high 5 1/3 innings.
