Dramatic Three-Run Home Run Powers East Carolina Past Tulane
May 23, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format GREENVILLE, N.C. - Harrison Eldridge's two-out, three-run home run off of Shooter Hunt in the bottom of the seventh inning boosted host and No. 2 East Carolina past No. 7 Tulane, 4-2, in game four of the 2007 C-USA Baseball Championship at Clark-LeClair Stadium on the campus of East Carolina University. In what turned out to be the day's only pitching duel, Hunt was pitching a gem and working with a 2-0 lead before Eldridge's blast put the Pirates in the lead for good. Starting pitchers T.J. Hose and Hunt were both impressive though the first five scoreless innings. Hose finally got touched up for two runs in sixth after giving up three singles and a sac bunt and was replaced by Jason Neitz. Hunt managed to keep Pirate hitters at bay in the bottom of the sixth, striking out the side. The sophomore stuck out six batters in a row between the fifth and seventh innings and finished the game with nine punchouts. In the bottom of the seventh, Jake Dean hit a one-out comebacker off of Hunt's foot and reached first before Hunt could locate the ball. Hunt then issued a walk to Drew Schieber to put runners on first and second. Brandon Henderson entered the game as a pinch hitter and flied out to deep center, moving Dean to third. Eldridge stepped to the plate next and drove a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall for the deciding score. ECU (37-20) would tack on a run in the eighth for the final margin. Hunt was credited with the loss for the Green Wave (32-25), scattering four hits along with his nine strikeouts, with his only real blemish being the three-run home run. Hose struck out five and scattered six hits in 5.1 innings of work in a no decision effort. Bailey Daniels was credited with the win for ECU, giving up one hit and striking out one in 1.1 innings of action. Shane Mathews earned the save for the Pirates, his 13th on the season. Mathews struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the ninth. East Carolina advances to play in Thursday's 7:30 p.m. contest against Southern Miss, while Tulane will play UAB at 12:30 p.m. in an elimination game.
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