East Carolina meets MAAC champ Iona in elimination game

Pirates and Gaels attempt to extend their season on Friday

Following a frustrating 1-0 loss in its regional opener on Thursday, East Carolina will now have to get past the Gaels of Iona to stay alive in the Austin Regional.

The Pirates (42-17) battled pitch for pitch with No. 25 BYU, but two hit batters in the fourth inning helped the Cougars capture a 1-0 victory.

Iona (28-25) was down 3-0 after four, but No. 7 Texas tacked on three in the fifth to increase its lead to 6-0. Those runs weren’t needed, though. The Gaels were able to manage just a single hit off Texas’ Blaire Luna—the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year.

East Carolina and Iona are very similar in that they have very modest offensive numbers and must manufacture runs more than the other teams in the regional.

The Gaels are hitting .274 with 30 home runs. They do, however, have three regulars batting .350 or better. Eileen McCann leads the club with her .353 mark. McCann also leads Iona in home runs (11) and runs batted in (34). Jodi Petersen and Allyssa James are hitting .352 and .350, respectively. Petersen has demonstrated good power with eight round-trippers.

Sarah Jackson is Iona’s top option in the circle.

The winner of this match-up will play either Texas or BYU in another elimination game