Pirates slam Southern Miss, 8-0, in five innings

Six-run sixth ignites blowout victory for East Carolina

After capturing the Conference USA regular season crown last weekend at Memphis, the East Carolina softball team continued its hot streak with an 8-0, five-inning victory over No. 8 seed Southern Miss in the first round of the conference tournament on Thursday afternoon at Houston’s Cougar Softball Stadium.

The Pirates (40-16) and Golden Eagles (25-28) were scoreless after 2.5 innings, but ECU exploded for six runs with two outs in the bottom half of the third. Catcher Kai Clark had led off with a single, but was stranded with two down. However, the Pirates proceeded to pound out five more hits to push six runs across. Kaui Tom delivered a two-run single to right and Priscilla Velasquez came through with a two-run double to right center.

East Carolina extended its advantage to eight in the fourth when Tom singled home her third run of the game and Sissy Jiminez followed with a run-scoring single.

Toni Paisley improved to 28-9 in the circle. Paisley, who notched her 20th shutout of the season, went five innings and allowed just three hits. She struck out eight while walking no one.

The win, which was the Pirates ninth straight, is the ninth straight shutout for East Carolina and the 21st time that it has held the opposition scoreless in the last 27 games.

The top-seeded Pirates will now meet No. 5 seed and host Houston in Friday’s semifinals.

ECU dropped two of three to the Cougars three weeks ago in Houston. The Pirates took game one, 1-0, but dropped Saturday’s doubleheader by scores of 4-3 and 4-2.

The winner will meet either No. 3 UCF or No. 7 Memphis in Saturday’s title game.