Cougars split with ECU, set up rubber game Sunday

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Freshman Preston Hall launched a three-run homer in the first and fellow rookie Daniel Brooks fanned five in five and two-thirds innings to earn his first collegiate win as College of Charleston bounced back from an 8-5 setback in game one with a 4-3 win in game two on Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point to set up a rubber game on Sunday.

LEADING OFF

Final Score (Game One): East Carolina 8, College of Charleston 5

Final Score (Game Two): College of Charleston 4, East Carolina 3

Location: Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (Patriots Point)

Records: Charleston (11-8), East Carolina (10-9)

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One)

• The Pirates broke a 1-1 deadlock with two runs in the fourth on a single and a squeeze bunt.
• Charleston pulled one back on an RBI single from Tanner Steffy in the home half.
• East Carolina answered with three runs in the fifth on back-to-back home runs by Jacob Jenkins-Cowart and Alec Makarewicz to take a 6-2 lead.
• The game resumed just after 1:00 p.m. on Saturday following a rain delay of more than 18 hours.
• Trotter Harlan wasted little time after play resumed sending the third pitch out to dead center for a three-run home to cut the deficit to 6-5.
• ECU countered with two runs in the ninth to seal the 8-5 win.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two)

• Hall opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the first to give the Cougars an early 3-0 lead.
• Sam Cochrane pushed the lead to 4-0 with a solo shot in the second for his first homer at CofC.
• East Carolina got on the board with a two-run homer by Cam Clonch in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2.
• The Pirates would load the bases with two outs in the ninth and scratch one across on an error before the Cougars shut the door.

KEY COUGARS

• Cochrane went 2-for-3 with an RBI in both games to continue his hot streak at the plate.
• Trotter Harlan went 1-for-4 in each game including a three-run homer in the series opener.
• JT Marr drew a walk in game one and went 2-for-4 in game two to extend his reached base streak to 19 games.
• Brooks fanned five and allowed two runs on two hits in five and two-thirds innings of work in game two to earn his first collegiate win.
• William Privette tossed the final two and two-thirds innings in game two striking out two to earn his third save of the season.

FOR THE NOTEBOOK

• Harlan has now reached base safely in 30 of the last 31 games and drew his league-leading 20th walk in game two.
• The Cougars have held the Pirates to a 2-for-14 clip with runners in scoring position through the first two games of the series.
• Cochrane has now recorded three consecutive multi-hit games.
• The Cougars are 9-0 this season when scoring in the first inning.

NEXT UP

The Cougars and Pirates will meet in the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. from Patriots Point.Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.