RADFORD, VA — Host Radford brought the potential tying run to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth before left-hander C.J. Mayhue recorded a game-ending groundout to preserve a 7-5 win for East Carolina on Wednesday.
ECU (7-6) took a 5-2 lead into the final inning. The Pirates expanded the margin to 7-2 as Lane Hoover had an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch.
ECU reliever Bradley Wilson had a pair of strikeouts before running into trouble in the last frame. Ty Dooley had an RBI single and later scored on a 2-run single by Adam Morris, who was left on base when Mayhue got leadoff batter Cameron Pittman on a bounce out to the mound.
The Pirates broke a tie at 2 on a sacrifice fly by Carter Cunningham in the sixth
Two runs in the seventh pushed the ECU lead to 5-2 as Hoover had an RBI on a fielder’s choice and later scored on a single to left by Jacob Jenkins-Cowart.
Merritt Beeker started for the Pirates and allowed one earned run in three innings. Danny Beal (2-0) tossed the next four frames and got the win. Mayhue picked up his first save.
Bryson Worrell, Jenkins-Cowart and Zach Agnos had two hits each for the visitors.
ECU is back home to start a 3-game series with Saint Mary’s College of California (12-1) on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
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