COLLEGE PARK, Md. –  East Carolina converted an unearned run and RBI groundout into a 2-0 victory over Maryland Saturday evening. The win advances the Pirates (41-21) to the NCAA Regional finals for the second-straight season as ECU has eliminated the regional’s host institution in back-to-back years. Senior Toni Paisley recorded the 57th shutout of her career and struck out eight to lead the way.
Offensively, the top of the Pirates’ order came through as the first three hitters combined to go 5-10 and tally the only RBI of the game. Freshmen Jill Jelnick and Kristi Oshiro each recorded two hits while Oshiro registered the game’s lone run batted in. During the three games of the regional, Oshiro is batting .500 (4-8) with a run scored and another driven in.
Paisley improved to 32-11 on the season and moved into a tie for third on the ECU single-season victory chart. The triumph was also the 118th of her career, tying her for 18th with four other players on the NCAA Division I all-time wins list. With eight strikeouts, Paisley increased her career total to 1,283, enough for 17th on the career chart. She scattered eight singles and walked one. Kendra Knight (10-6) suffered the setback for Maryland after allowing nine singles, two runs and a walk. She fanned six in the complete-game effort.
The Pirates had a chance to score in the top of the first as Jelnick led off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Oshiro. A strikeout and fly out to the warning track in center field got Knight out of trouble.
Maryland also had an opportunity in the bottom of the frame, but failed to convert. Sara Acosta singled up the middle and Vangie Galindo beat out an infield roller to the left side to put runners on first and second with no outs. Bree Hanafin attempted to bunt the pair over, but popped up to Paisley in the circle for the first out. Paisley then struck out the next two batters swinging to end the threat.
East Carolina mounted another threat in the top of the second and cashed in to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, freshman Alex Fieldhouse and junior Suzanne Riggs tallied consecutive singles, putting runners on first and second. Freshman Rebecca Lee followed with a grounder up the middle that Nikki Maier booted at second base. The ball rolled into left center, Fieldhouse scored and Riggs advanced to third on the play. The Pirates attempted a double steal with Lee and Riggs, but Riggs was thrown out at home plate for the second out. A strikeout closed the frame.
In the top of the third, ECU put two more runners on but could not push one across. After a groundout started the inning, Oshiro walked and Lewis singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. Freshman Jasmine Robbins grounded into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
The Terrapins mounted a two-out threat in the bottom of the fourth but again were held off. After a pair of strikeouts started the half inning, Maier and Kathy McLaughlin followed with consecutive bloop singles to left field to put runners on first and second. Pinch hitter Candice Beards hit a long fly to right field, but Jelnick made the catch straddling the foul line for the third out.
ECU pushed across an insurance run in the top of the seventh for a 2-0 advantage. Lee led off with a single to left field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore pinch hitter Cicely Lopez. Jelnick lined a single into left center that put runners on the corners with one out. Oshiro followed with a grounder to the third baseman, but Lee was off on contact and scored for the two-run lead. A grounder back to Knight in the circle ended the threat.
After the Pirates retired the first two Maryland batters in the seventh, a fielding error allowed McCann to reach first base. Acosta kept the game alive with her third hit of the contest, a single to left field. She became the first opponent with four hits in a contest since Kara Nelson of Illinois State Feb. 11, 2011. Galindo followed with a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Paisley ended the game by retiring Hanafin on a pop out to freshman Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin at shortstop.
The Pirates now prepare for a rematch with Baylor Sunday at noon. ECU would have to beat the Bears twice to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Baylor 2, Pirates 0
COLLEGE PARK, Md. –  A passed ball that allowed Kayce Walker to score in the top of first inning and a sacrifice fly in the sixth by Megan Turk lifted Baylor to a 2-0 victory over East Carolina Saturday at the College Park Regional. Whitney Canion limited the Pirates (40-21) to two hits and a walk while striking out six. Matching her nearly pitch for pitch was ECU senior Toni Paisley, who retired 19 of the final 21 Baylor (42-12) batters.
Paisley (31-11) went the distance for the Pirates and allowed three hits, all singles. She walked one and struck out nine. The whiffs gave Paisley sole possession of 18th on the NCAA Division I career list with 1,275. Canion (26-9) kept ECU in check with just a pair of singles and a free pass. She also fanned six.
Baylor jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an unearned run. Walker hit a one-out single to center field and stole second base. After Turk popped out, Dani Leal dropped down a bunt and beat it out for a single to put runners on the corners. Leal swiped second base and two pitches later Walker came home on a passed ball with Leal moving to third on the play. A strikeout swinging ended the threat.
Neither team registered another base runner until the bottom of the fourth when the Pirates recorded their first base runner with a one-out single to left field by freshman Kristi Oshiro. She was left stranded following a strikeout and groundout.
In the bottom of the fifth, ECU had its first scoring opportunity, but was held off the board. With one out, junior Priscilla Velasquez singled to right field and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Abby Wynne. A sacrifice bunt by junior Suzanne Riggs advanced Wynne to second with two outs. Senior Sissy Jimenez entered to pinch hit, but grounded out to Canion to end the inning.
The Bears added the insurance run in the top of the sixth for a 2-0 advantage. Kathy Shelton led off reaching on an infield single and stole second base. A sacrifice bunt by Walker moved Shelton to third with one out. Turk followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Shelton. Paisley struck out Leal to end the threat.
East Carolina mounted another scoring threat in the bottom of the frame. Freshman pinch hitter Mahrisch Medina battled for 10 pitches before drawing a leadoff walk. A sacrifice bunt moved Medina to second, but she was left stranded after a foul out and strikeout.
Canion sent down the Pirates in order in the seventh to seal the victory.