GREENVILLE — A fragmented NCAA regional at Clark-LeClair Stadium ended for top-seeded East Carolina on Sunday night with a 9-7 loss to fourth-seeded UNC-Wilmington.
The Seahawks (39-22) scored all nine of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
ECU (44-18) finished the season as the visiting team in the regional for the second time in three games, including a 4-2 loss to second-seeded South Carolina (35-24) on Saturday.
Both of ECU’s losses had lengthy weather-related delays.
Story continues after picture…
UNCW plays the Gamecocks on Monday at 1 p.m. South Carolina can claim the regional title with a victory. If the Seahawks triumph Monday afternoon, it would force another game to determine the regional championship.
The Pirates had beaten UNCW three times, including 16-7 on Friday in ECU’s regional opener, and had a 5-0 lead before the Seahawks erupted in the fifth after play had resumed.
“It wasn’t the weather delay that lost the game,” said Pirates junior shortstop Turner Brown. “They just played a little better.”
The game went into an extended lightning delay with two out in the bottom of the fourth and ECU holding a 3-0 lead.
The Pirates went ahead on a two-run single by Brown in the top of the second inning. Alec Burleson started the frame with a single up the middle and Connor Litton followed with a double to center.
Brown moved to second on a single by Brady Lloyd. Brown went to third on a fly to center by Bryant Packard and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Dwanya Williams-Sutton.
Story continues after picture…
In the top of the fifth, ECU got an RBI single from Andrew Henrickson and a sacrifice bunt from Burleson that brought Henrickson home.
UNCW sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth. Noah Bridges went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Seahawks. David Sheaffer and Zack Canada had two RBIs each for UNCW.
The ninth run for the Seahawks came after a missed call at first that was verified on replays.
Ryan Henry (3-0) got the win in relief and Blake Morgan went the last four innings for his first save.
The Pirates rallied for a pair of runs in the seventh as Burleson had an RBI single and a ground out by Connor Litton allowed Jake Washer to score.
Jake Agnos started for ECU. The sophomore left-hander pitched three and two-thirds scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, one walk and had six strikeouts but did not return after the weather delay. Ryan Ross (4-5) was charged with the loss.
Pirates coach Cliff Godwin said he wanted to save Tyler Smith for Monday but he had to go to the sophomore right-hander for two and two-thirds innings.
“They had one big inning and we couldn’t get out of it,” Godwin said.
Godwin thanked fans for their support and said he wanted the 2018 ECU team to be remembered as champions. The Pirates completed a run to the American Athletic Conference tournament title on May 26 in Clearwater, FL.
Leave a comment