North Carolina
East Carolina
No. 10 North Carolina Defeats No. 21 East Carolina, 8-2
April 18, 2000 | Baseball
April 18, 2000
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Ryan Earey went 8.0 solid innings in his first career start and Tyrell Godwin hit two home runs to help No. 10 North Carolina defeat No. 21 East Carolina 8-2 here Tuesday in non-conference college baseball action.
The victory lifted the Tar Heels to 34-9 on the season while ECU fell to 32-11. This was the second win for UNC over the Pirates this season, as the Tar Heels won the first contest in Chapel Hill 6-4.
After retiring the side in order in the first, Pirate starter Scott Greene saw the Tar Heels take an early lead with two runs in the second. Godwin singled to left and stole second before taking third on a groundout. Sean Farrell's double scored Godwin before Farrell came around on Chris Maples' single for a 2-0 Tar Heel advantage.
In the third, three straight hits to lead off the inning loaded the bases for Godwin, who lifted one to left field for a grand slam home run and a 6-0 North Carolina lead.
ECU rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Clayton McCullough led off with a single and moved up when Bryant Ward walked. James Molinari's double to right center field scored McCullough before Nick Schnabel's groundout to second brought across Ward to cut the lead to 6-2.
Greene settled down from that point and went 4.1 innings allowing seven hits and six runs with a career-high seven strikeouts while suffering his first loss of the year. Reliever Neal Sears went 3.2 innings allowing five hits and one run with a walk and three strikeouts while Davey Penny went the final 1.0 inning giving up one hit and one run with a walk and two strikeouts.
Earey kept ECU in check the rest of the way, allowing just six hits in 8.0 innings of work, allowing just two runners to reach second base in the final 5.0 innings of work. Earey, who is normally a setup man for the Tar Heels, walked just two with 12 strikeouts on the night.
UNC put the last runs on the board in the top of the ninth as Clay Hooper and Godwin hit back-to-back solo home runs for the final 8-2 advantage.
Molinari and McCullough led the Pirates with two hits apiece as ECU was outhit 13-6 in the contest. Godwin led the Tar Heels at the plate, going 3-4 with three runs and five RBI while Farrell, Hooper, Maples and Adam Greenberg each had two hits.
