Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
East Carolina
Baseball Downed by ECU, 12-3
5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2010
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Kurt Lipton mashed two homers and Alfredo Brito launched a solo shot, but that was all the Marshall University baseball team could muster up offensively against East Carolina starter Seth Maness as the Thundering Herd dropped a 12-3 decision to the Pirates on Saturday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Lipton connected for his ninth and 10th homers of the season as Marshall fell to 20-24 overall and 9-8 in Conference USA. With the victory, ECU propels its record to 27-17 and 8-6 in league play.
Maness (8-2) scattered eight hits in a complete game effort, with his lone blemishes being three solo homers. The right-hander collected eight strikeouts to earn his eighth win of the season.
The Pirates put lefty starter Mike Mason (2-6) in trouble in the bottom of the first. The home squad used two hits, two walks and a hit by pitch, highlighted by a two-run single by Jared Avchen to own the early advantage. Mason dodged any further damage when he snagged a comebacker with two down and the sacks packed, trailing 2-0.
MU's first seven batters were retired prior to Isaac Ballou and Ben Jurevicius stringing together consecutive hits with one out in the third. Both runners moved up on a Kirby Pellant grounder to first, but were unable to cross home as Maness kept the Herd off the scoreboard.
After a rocky first inning for Mason, he settled down as he struck out the side in the second. ECU later touched up the southpaw for a run in the third, when Kyle Roller launched a solo homer to take a three-run lead.
Lipton belted a solo bomb to begin the fourth for the Herd's first mark on the scoreboard of the afternoon. Nathan Gomez sliced a two-out double to left, but was left stranded, down 3-1.
ECU answered back in the bottom half of the frame by use of the long ball to retake a three-run cushion when No. 9 hitter Cameron Freeman connected for a blast.
In the seventh, the home team batted around scoring on five occasions by the use of five hits to put the game out of reach for the Herd. ECU scored an additional three runs in the eighth, thanks to a three-run shot from Zach Wright, his second of the day.
Lipton's second homer came in the eighth, while Alfredo Brito lined a pinch-hit bomb in the ninth to round out the scoring.
The third game of the series is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
