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Charlotte Baseball Falls in the Season Opener Against the No. 9 ECU Pirates

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Baseball

Despite a couple of home runs by David McCabe, his second multi-HR game of the season, Charlotte baseball dropped the season opener at #9/#14 East Carolina by a final of 7-4 on Friday night.

"Today wasn't our day," remarked Head Coach Robert Woodard. "We got beat in each facet of the game. We just got beat and sometimes that happens but it's a three-game series. We certainly hate to lose, but the series is still in front of us. All the credit to Coach Godwin and his club, they played really well tonight. Our guys hate to lose, they are big time competitors and they never let up. I'm proud of that and I wish we could start game two now. We'll be back out here tomorrow."

TWO-RUN RESPONSE

Charlotte (8-4) responded to a pair of two-out East Carolina (11-2) runs in the second with two of their own in the fourth squaring the contest 2-2. Aaron McKeithan began the frame with a single laced into left-center before David McCabe teed off on his first homer of the night, a two-run shot to left, leveling out the scoreboard.

SECOND RESPONSE

After the Pirates scored two more in their half of the fourth to re-take the lead, McCabe delivered a mammoth 430-foot solo home run on a 96mph fastball slicing the deficit in half. Getting to within two in the seventh, an infield single by Jake Cunningham paid off as the center fielder scored from first on a two-out double to right by Austin Knight.

STAYING ALIVE

Nick Turnbull helped keep the Niners alive in the middle portion of Friday night going a season-high two innings with three strikeouts, none bigger then the first one in the fifth to close out the Pirates two-run frame stranding two. Coming into a bases-loaded two-out jam in the eighth, reliever Ryan Czanstkowski got a groundball to short ending that threat and worked a 1-2-3 frame in the eighth, the only of the night, to keep it a 7-4 ballgame.

Woodard on Friday's Positives

"Ryan comes in with the bases loaded, hasn't pitched in two weeks and gets a groundball to keep us down three. Our relievers came in and battled, but that's a good lineup and we knew that coming in. McCabe is special. I think he's one of the best players in the country. This is a great college baseball environment, seeing the fans back in the stadium is a reminder we're moving in the right direction."

BOX SCORE STATS

Knight, McKeithan and McCabe each had two of Charlotte's eight hits on the night while Gino Groover and Jake Cunningham had the others.

PIRATES PERFORMANCE

The Pirates kept the pressure on the Niners throughout the night going 7-for-13 with two outs, and 10-for-18 with runners on. The bottom third of the order accounted for nine of ECU's 12 hits on the night. Jake Kuchmaner struck out 10 in his 5.1 innings of work while Gavin Williams fanned five.

Woodard on the ECU Pitching

"I thought their pitching was outstanding. Anytime you don't walk a hitter over the course of nine innings and strikeout 15, that's a credit to them. I thought Jake and Gavin threw the ball really, really well. On Friday night's that's what you get."

SECOND GAME SATURDAY

Game two of the weekend series takes place at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon as RHP Bryce McGowan (2-1, 0.56) gets the start for the 49ers. The Pirates send LHP Carson Whisenhunt (2-0, 1.72) to the mound. Live audio/stats will be available for the game at http://www.charlotte49ers.com.