CINCINNATI — After winning its first American Athletic Conference game of the season Saturday, East Carolina claimed its initial AAC series on Sunday with a 14-3 win in eight innings over Cincinnati.
Travis Watkins went 4-for-4 for ECU with a double, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. Charlie Yorgen was 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Bryce Harman was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run. Spencer Brickhouse had a double and three RBIs.
The Pirates (22-19, 2-10 AAC) scored once in the third inning, seven runs in the fourth inning and had a six-run eighth inning.
Watkins led off the third with a homer to left.
After Brickhouse walked to start the fourth, Turner Brown had an RBI double to put ECU ahead to stay at 2-1.
Dwanya Williams-Sutton singled and Watkins had a hit that scored Brown for a 3-1 lead. Dusty Baker had a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Harman drove in two runs with a single to center
Yorgen singled and Eric Tyler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brickhouse doubled to left to bring in three runs and give the Pirates an 8-1 lead.
Wesley Phillips singled to left and Yorgen had a two-run homer to right to start the eighth for ECU.
Tyler singled and scored on a throwing error on a double by Bryant Packard for an 11-3 lead. Brown walked before two runs scored on a double by Watkins.
Drew Henrickson’s RBI single completed the scoring.
Trey Smith (2-0) got the win in one and two-thirds innings of relief after Jake Agnos started.
Agnos yielded seven hits over four and one-third innings. He allowed three runs, all earned, while walking one and striking out three.
Smith scattered three hits and walked one without a walk or a whiff while holding the Bearcats (20-20, 5-7) scoreless. West Covington retired the hosts in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
The game was called after eight innings on the 10-run rule.
The Pirates are home to take on N.C. State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Yay!