ECU Takes Down ODU 8-2 with Strong Offensive and Pitching Performance
East Carolina continued its strong start to the season with an 8-2 victory over Old Dominion, backed by dominant pitching and timely hitting.
Cliff Godwin's 400th Win
ECU's victory over ODU marked a significant milestone for head coach Cliff Godwin, who secured his 400th career win. Reflecting on the achievement, Godwin said, “I didn’t play in any of those games. I’ve had a lot of great players, had a lot of great coaches. Jeff Palumbo has been great with me every step of the way. It’s super humbling to be able to coach at your alma mater for sure, and I just thank God that He gave that opportunity.”
Fast Start for ECU
The Pirates wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. After Alex Peltier reached on an error, Dixon Williams executed a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position. Michael Kalinich followed with a walk before Walker Barron laced an RBI single to bring in the game's first run. The big blow came from Austin Irby, who had his 'Welcome to the Jungle' moment with a three-run homer to cap off a four-run first inning for ECU.
Meanwhile, ECU starting pitcher Jaden Winter set the tone early, retiring the first three batters in order with a flyout, a groundout, and a strikeout in the top of the first. Winter continued to deal, working around a couple of singles in the second inning to keep ODU off the scoreboard.
Mid-Game Action
ECU added to its lead in the third when Braxton Tramel executed a sacrifice bunt to bring home a run, extending the Pirates’ advantage to 5-0. Winter exited in the third after allowing a run on an RBI single, with Ian White stepping in to limit the damage.
Lance Williams took over on the mound in the fifth and promptly induced a double play after hitting a batter, followed by a strikeout to end the inning. However, ODU managed to scratch across a run in the sixth on an RBI single. ECU turned to Ethan Young out of the bullpen, and he successfully got out of a jam with the score at 5-2.
Braden Burress had the play of the game when he went running into the wall to make the catch.
Pirates Seal the Victory
In the bottom of the seventh, ECU took advantage of ODU’s mistakes. After John Collins singled and Walker Barron was hit by a pitch, Irby laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. The Monarchs then unraveled, allowing two runs to score on a wild pitch and a throwing error, pushing ECU’s lead to 7-2.
The Pirates tacked on one more insurance run in the eighth when Dixon Williams launched a solo home run, making it 8-2.
ODU failed to generate any offense in the final frames, and ECU closed out the game without issue, securing another convincing win.
Pitching Performance
ECU’s pitching staff delivered a strong performance:
Jaden Winter (W, 1-0): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 44 Pitches (26 Strikes)
Ian White: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 17 Pitches (9 Strikes)
Lance Williams: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 34 Pitches (17 Strikes)
Ethan Young (S, 1): 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 41 Pitches (28 Strikes)
Team Batting Performance
ECU's offense delivered an efficient performance:
Dixon Williams: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 HBP
John Collins: 1-for-1 (Now 3-for-3 as a pinch hitter)
Walker Barron: 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP
Austin Irby: 2-for-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 SH
Colby Wallace: 2-for-3, 1 HBP
Takeaways
ECU’s combination of aggressive baserunning, clutch hitting, and strong pitching was too much for ODU. The Pirates' bullpen was especially effective in keeping ODU from mounting a comeback. With this win, ECU continues to build momentum early in the season.
The Pirates will look to carry their strong play into the next matchup as they continue their campaign