NCAA Baseball Conway Regional: East Carolina eliminates Alabama, 16-1
AP Photo/Brett Flashnick
Alabama starting pitcher Del Howell, back, chases down East Carolina third baseman Drew Schieber, center, as Alabama first baseman Matt Bentley looks on, during a baseball game at the 2008 NCAA Baseball Conway Regional Sunday at Charles Watson Stadium, in Conway.
Published: June 1, 2008
Updated: June 3, 2008
CONWAY (AP) _ East Carolina starting pitcher Justin Bristow allowed one run over seven innings Sunday to lead the Pirates to a 16-1 win over Alabama in an elimination game at the NCAA Conway Regional.
The win advances ECU to face top-seeded Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. Sunday at Charles Watson Stadium.
Alabama (35-28) had scored at least 10 runs in nine of its last 17 games, but Bristow — an Auburn transfer — did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. The Crimson Tide sent No. 2 seed East Carolina (42-20) to the losers’ bracket with a 16-3 win Friday.
Bristow allowed four hits, two walks and struck out six over seven innings Sunday. Meanwhile, East Carolina’s offense exploded, knocking out Alabama starter Del Howell in the third.
Kyle Roller’s two-run shot in the inning helped push the Pirates to a commanding 9-0 lead. ECU right fielder Jamie Ray finished 4 for 6 with a home run and six RBIs. Brandon Henderson and Drew Schieber each added three hits for the Pirates, who finished with 18 hits total.
In a winner’s bracket game Saturday night, No. 3 seed Alabama led Coastal Carolina 10-6 after seven innings but allowed a seven-run eighth to fall into the losers’ bracket.
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