University of Houston
<B>EAST CAROLINA</B>
Baseball Swept by East Carolina on Sunday
5/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 6, 2007
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HOUSTON - East Carolina exploded for six runs in the fourth inning and never looked back in taking a 9-2 win over the University of Houston baseball team Sunday during the finale of a Conference USA series at Cougar Field.
The Pirates seized control of the game in the fourth inning, scoring six runs off six hits and a Cougar error. Corey Kemp started the scoring with a two-run double, while Ray followed two batters later with an RBI-double down the left-field line. Schieber then handed ECU a 6-0 lead with a three-run homer over the right-field wall.
Ryan Tousley batted 4-for-5 with an RBI, while Jamie Ray went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Jake Dean went 2-for-4 with a run, and Drew Schieber batted 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs.
East Carolina starter Josh Dowdy earned the win and improved to 3-1 after limiting the Cougars to two runs off three hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in five innings of work.
UH starter John Touchton collected the loss and fell to 4-5 after giving up five runs (four earned) off seven hits and a walk in 3.1 innings.
Junior second baseman Ryan Lormand went 2-for-4 with a run to lead the Cougar offense, which was outhit 15-6 in the game. Freshman centerfielder Zak Presley also batted 2-for-4.
With the loss, the Cougars dropped to 25-22 overall, 10-8 in C-USA games, and fell to fourth place in the C-USA standings behind Memphis - which was a 10-9 winner over UCF - and East Carolina. UH also suffered its first conference sweep at home since dropping three straight to former Southwest Conference rival Texas on April 6-7, 1996. East Carolina improved to 32-15 overall, 10-7 in C-USA games.
The Cougars continue their C-USA schedule when they meet Memphis in their final regular-season weekend series of the 2007 season. That series begins at 6:30 p.m., Friday, continues at 2 p.m., Saturday and wraps up at 1 p.m., Sunday at Nat Buring Stadium.
Fans can hear Cougar Baseball games live on UHCougars.com with former Cougar letterwinners Nick Torina and Pat Cauley calling all the action. Fans can follow live stats by clicking on the "Gametracker" link on the front page of UHCougars.com or on the Schedule and Results page off the Baseball main page.
Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the "Gametracker" link on the front page of UHCougars.com or on the "Schedule and Results" page off the Baseball main page.
Fans should note that the Cougars' makeup game against Louisiana-Lafayette -- scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday at Cougar Field - was cancelled earlier in the week to accommodate the Cajuns' final examinations schedule.
After the Pirate outburst in the fourth inning, the Cougars cut into that lead in their next at bat. Lormand led off with a double to right center and moved to second following a walk to Felix Fanaselle. After a groundout moved both runners to second and third, Dustin Kingsbury lined a two-run single into left center for a 6-2 ECU lead.
In the sixth inning, Ryan Wood reached second base on a dropped third strike and wild pitch, moved to third following Tousley's single through the right side and scored when Stephen Batts grounded into a double play for a 7-2 ECU lead.
Two innings later, Tousley's RBI-single through the right side scored Harrison Eldridge from second base after the baserunner was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved into scoring position after a wild pitch.
The Pirates added another single run in the ninth inning on Schieber's RBI-single to left center for the final margin of victory.
