Pair of Pirate homers sink Bulldogs on Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – East Carolina broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on its way to a 4-2 victory over the Bryant University softball team on Saturday afternoon at the ECU Softball Stadium.

With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 1-3 in the ECU Pirate Clash and will wrap up tournament play on Sunday with a 9:30 a.m. first pitch against Fordham. The Pirates improved to 3-5 with the victory.

Tate McClellan led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run to left field to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead. Two batters later, Megan Quick added a solo home run of her own, a shot to left field, to make it a two-run game.

The two home runs spoiled a strong outing for Colby Norris (Toano, Va.) who allowed the four runs on just five hits. She walked six and struck out three in six innings.

Bryant was the first to strike on Saturday, plating a pair of two-out runs in the top of the second. With two on and two outs, Haylee Haas (Moorpark, Calif.) stroked a single to left field to plate Taylor Burger (Killingworth, Conn.) with the first run of the game. After a Gianna Pizzano (Saugus, Mass.) single loaded the bases, Tiffany Bell (Egg Harbor City, N.J.) drew a walk to force in the second run of the inning.

East Carolina quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game with a pair of two-out runs of its own. Two walks and a double loaded the bases for the Pirates and Ciara Ervin knocked a single up the middle. Ali Ramirez and Karlie Smith both scored but Quick was thrown out trying to take third to end the inning.

Ukegawa and Haas both finished the game with two hits for the Bulldogs, while Rachel Monroe (Southwick, Mass.) reached twice with a hit and a walk.

Megan Mills earned the win in relief for East Carolina, tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief. Meredith Burroughs picked up her second save with a scoreless seventh. Ervin reached four times with three walks and a hit, and McClellan was the only Pirate with multiple hits.

The Bulldogs wrap up the ECU Pirate Clash on Sunday against Fordham. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.