May 26, 2004

Fourth-ranked East Carolina erupted for seven runs in the third inning to build a 12-0 lead and then rode the solid pitching of Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Greg Bunn, as the No.1 seeded Pirates cruised to a 13-2 victory over Louisville in Game 3 of the C-USA Baseball Tournament on Wednesday (May 26) afternoon at Cougar Field. The Pirates improve to 48-9 on the year, while Louisville falls to 26-29.

The 48 wins for ECU are a new school record, surpassing the previous mark of 47 wins set by the 2001 team.

The game was completed after seven innings due to the conference's ten-run rule in tournament play.

The Cardinals' two runs came on two solo home runs - by Ron Braun in the fourth inning and Chris Cates in the sixth. They threatened in the seventh with two runners on and only one out, but Bunn was able to get Mark Jurich and Cates to fly out and halt the potential rally.

Bunn allowed seven hits in his seven innings of work and improves to a perfect 9-0 on the year.

Louisville starter B.J. Rosenberg lasted just two innings after being tagged for nine earned runs on nine hits and falls to 2-5 on the season.

The Pirates jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first on back-to-back RBI-doubles by Drew Costanzo and Ryan Norwood, who knocked in two.

Costanzo led off the Pirates' big inning with his second double of the game and later came around to score the game's fourth run on double by Mark Minicotti. John Poppert followed Minicotti with a three-run homer, then Norwood plated the last two runs of the inning with a single to right. Overall, ECU registered six hits - five for extra bases - en route to its seven runs in the inning.

Minicotti drove in Constanzo with a sacrifice fly for ECU's 13th and final run.

ECU advances and will play the winner of the Houston-TCU, slated to be played tonight, on Thursday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. Louisville falls into Bracket Two of the double-elimination tournament and will face the loser of the TCU-Houston game on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.