WICHITA, KS — Jake Agnos pitched seven scoreless innings and Alec Burleson was 3-for-4 with four RBIs as No. 8 East Carolina opened an American Athletic Conference series at Wichita State with a 6-1 win on Friday night.
The outcome clinched the AAC regular-season title for the Pirates.
Agnos (8-2) started and allowed four hits while walking five and striking out six.
Burleson started the scoring with a 2-run single in the second that brought in Brady Lloyd and Jake Washer for a 2-0 ECU lead.
The Pirates (38-11, 17-2 AAC) went ahead 3-0 in the fifth on an RBI single by Turner Brown that scored Spencer Brickhouse.
Dusty Baker stole home in the sixth and Burleson added an RBI single later in the frame.
Burleson’s sacrifice fly in the eighth extended ECU’s advantage to 6-0.
The Shockers (22-27, 6-13) avoided a shutout with two out in the ninth as a potential double play throw to first got away.
Brown was 2-for-3 and scored three runs as the Pirates won their seventh straight road game. ECU has won 13 of its last 14 and all five in the current stretch away from home.
Baker went 2-for-4 with two doubles. Brown was 2-for-5 as the Pirates had a 12-5 lead in hits. Brickhouse had a double.
Bryant Packard, who is hitting .376 with six homers and 33 RBIs, sat out with some leg soreness.
Ryder Giles pitched the last two innings. He yielded one hit, an unearned run and one walk while whiffing three.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
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