GREENVILLE — Bryson Worrell went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead East Carolina to a 6-3 win and a 3-game American Athletic Conference sweep of visiting Cincinnati on Sunday
The Pirates improved to 27-18 overall and 11-4 in league play. ECU remained in first place in the AAC standings, a game ahead of Central Florida and Houston, each 10-5.
Worrell hit a 2-run homer to left with two out in the bottom of the first to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
The Bearcats (17-24, 7-8) tied the score with a pair of runs in the third, but ECU went ahead to stay in the bottom of the frame as Worrell had a single up the middle to score Zach Agnos before Jacob Starling drew a bases-loaded walk.
Lane Hoover drove in a run in the fourth on a ground out as the Pirates pushed the lead to 5-2.
ECU coach Cliff Godwin was ejected by plate umpire Wes Hamilton after a double play ended the fourth. Agnos was tagged out coming home and Jacob Jenkins-Cowart was thrown out going to first by Cincinnati catcher Joe Powell on a squeeze bunt that Godwin felt was foul. Jenkins-Cowart was not running hard because he didn’t think the ball was in play.
Godwin wanted Hamilton to ask for help from the umpiring crew that included Mac Stokes at first, Scott Johnson at second and Chris Booker at third, but the plate umpire declined. Godwin pressed the issue and was tossed. The eighth-year Pirates coach said he did not receive a warning before his second ejection this season.
Cole Harting came home on a double steal in the fifth as the visitors pulled within 5-3.
Worrell, who homered in the first batting right-handed, hit one out to right from the left side in the fifth for his ninth round-tripper of 2022.
Garrett Saylor (3-3) pitched two and one-third innings of relief for the win. Agnos threw the final one and one-third for his first save. ECU pitchers totaled 10 strikeouts.
Agnos had two hits with a double as the Pirates had a 9-8 edge in hits. Hoover went 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Next action for ECU is an AAC series at Memphis (20-21, 5-10) that gets underway Friday at 7 p.m.
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