University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
East Carolina
Tiger Baseball Unable to Slow Down ECU, Shutout 12-0
Mar 24, 2007 | Baseball
March 24, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. -
No. 22 East Carolina 12, Memphis 0
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Memphis (14-8; 0-2 C-USA) 000 000 000- 0 6 3 East Carolina (18-6; 2-0 C-USA) 023 000 25X- 12 10 0
ECU starter Dustin Sasser scattered just four hits and struck out six in a solid seven-inning start to lead the Pirates to a 12-0 shutout of Memphis in game two of the Conference USA series on Saturday. ECU wins the series with its 12th consecutive triumph.
"Sasser was on top of his game tonight," said Tiger Head Coach Daron Schoenrock. "Once he settled in, he kept making big pitches and kept us off balance."
ECU used an error by Memphis starter Ben Grisham in the home half of the second to take a 2-0 lead. Ryan Tousley led off with a single up the middle and Corey Kemp drew a free pass to put runners on first and second with no outs. Drew Schieber then bunted back to Grisham, whose attempt for the force out at third sailed out of the reach of Kyle Norrid, allowing Tousley to plate the Pirate's first run of the night. Kemp moved around to third on the play and scored on a groundout.
Kemp followed a pair of singles by Harrison Eldridge and Stephen Batts with a three-run blast over the leftfield wall and into the night to give ECU a comfortable 5-0 lead after three innings of play.
Another Tiger error helped ECU expand its lead to 7-0 in the seventh. Brandon Henderson led the frame off with a single just out of the reach of Michael Murray in the hole between shortstop and third base. Ryan Wood then placed a sacrifice bunt to Norrid and third. Norrid bare-handed the ball and made a throw to first. However, no one was covering the bag and Norrid's throw made its way down the rightfield foul territory. Grisham was then lifted for freshman reliever Brennon Martin, who promptly walked in a run after giving free bases to Eldridge and a bases loaded walk to Dale Mollenhauer. A sac fly to center by Batts scored Wood.
The Pirates tacked on five more runs in the eighth, highlighted by a pair of two-run singles by pinch hitter Kyle Roller and Tousley.
Grisham (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers after giving up seven runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. He fanned two in his second start of the year. Martin walked two in two-thirds of an inning of work. Freshman Mark Jobe worked the eighth.
Sasser claimed his third victory of the year against no losses. Reliever Mike Flye closed out the tilt by holding the Tigers scoreless in the final two innings of action.
The Memphis offense managed just six hits on the night and extended its string of scoreless innings to 12 straight. ECU was led by Kemp, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. Tousley added a pair of hits and RBI.
Memphis will try to salvage a game in the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST.
