East Carolina exits early

Staff report
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CLEARWATER, FL — A 5-4 loss to Memphis on Thursday knocked East Carolina out of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

The second-seeded Pirates (34-21-1) fell 4-2 to seventh-seeded South Florida on Wednesday before the sixth-seeded Tigers (20-38) took the elimination game.

ECU will await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament pairings on Monday at noon.

The two-day performance at Bright House Field was a stark contrast to the Pirates' run to the league tournament championship last season. A three-game sweep at Central Florida preceded the AAC tournament.

Darien Tubbs hit a two-run homer off ECU starter Jimmy Boyd in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 Memphis lead.

The Pirates tied the score in the top of the second with a pair of runs. Garrett Brooks had a one-out single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a hit by Eric Tyler. A pair of Memphis errors allowed Tyler to come home.

Chris Carrier reached on an error by ECU second baseman Charlie Yorgen in the second and Trent Turner was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Jake Overbey moved the runners to second and third. Carrier scored for a 3-2 Tigers lead on a ground out to first by Jason Santana.

Jacob Elliott had a two-run single in the third for a 5-2 Memphis lead. The hit down the right field line brought in Jake Little, who had singled, and Tubbs, who had walked. Boyd (7-5) had two wild pitches in the inning.

The Pirates got lone runs in the fifth and eighth innings.

Parker Lamm was hit by a pitch in the fifth, Turner Brown walked and Travis Watkins had an RBI single through the right side to draw ECU within 5-3.

Watkins had a one-out single to left in the eighth and Brooks singled before the Tigers went to side-arming right-hander Nolan Blackwood.

Pinch hitter Kirk Morgan reached on a fielder's choice that scored Watkins to cut the lead to 5-4 before Blackwood got Zack Mozingo swinging to strand runners on the corners.

Boyd lasted two and one-third innings, yielding five runs, all earned.

Freshman Sam Lanier pitched four and two-thirds for the Pirates, allowing one hit, no walks and striking out six. Freshman Matt Bridges allowed one hit in the eighth.

Alex Hicks (1-2) got the win in relief of starter Matt Ferguson. Blackwood notched his seventh save.

PAGE UPDATED 05/27/16 02:38 PM.

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