ECU wins season opener

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 12, 2006 2:27 AM

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GREENNVILLE -- Jake Smith and Adam Witter each homered while T.J. Hose struck out eight in six innings of work as East Carolina won its season-opener, 6-1, over Maryland Friday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Pirates (1-0) scored one in the first and one in the second to go up 2-0 before Maryland (0-1) bounced back, cutting the lead to 2-1 in the fourth. ECU responded with three runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run Smith homer, and a final run in the seventh on Witter's solo shot to close the scoring.

Redshirt freshman Stephen Batts, who started his first collegiate game in left, led the Pirates on the day going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Witter, Smith and newcomer Jake Dean all finished with two hits on the day.

Hose worked six innings to pick up his first win before newcomer Josh Dowdy came on the start the top of the seventh. Before exiting, Hose struck out eight and walked just one, allowing one run on five hits in his first outing as a sophomore. Dowdy made his first appearance on the mound for the Pirates, throwing two shutout innings before Rhodes came on to pitch the ninth, allowing one hit while striking out two.

Saturday afternoon's non-conference baseball game between East Carolina and Maryland was postponed due to inclement weather ECU officials announced. The Pirates and the Terrapins will play a doubleheader at Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium Sunday starting at 11 a.m.