CINCINNATI — No. 14 East Carolina scored a tying run in the eighth inning and the winning run in the 10th inning to complete an American Athletic Conference sweep at Cincinnati with a 6-5 triumph in 10 innings on Sunday.
The Pirates (34-14, 12-6 AAC) are a half-game behind Houston (28-19, 12-5) in the league standings going into a nonconference contest at Old Dominion on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Bearcats (20-27, 8-10) took a 5-4 lead on a 3-run homer by Cole Harting in the fifth inning.
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman held the hosts scoreless without a hit over the last five innings while striking out three with no walks.
ECU started the eighth with a walk to Josh Moylan. Ryley Johnson came in to pinch run and moved to second on a wild pitch. Johnson advanced to third on a fly to center by Jacob Jenkins-Cowart.
A ground out to second by Luke Nowak allowed Johnson to score the tying run.
Johnson doubled down the right field line in the 10th and came home on a single through the left side by Jenkins-Cowart.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Jacob Starling and a sacrifice fly by Jenkins-Cowart.
ECU added two runs in the third on a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Nowak and an error on a pickoff attempt.
Starling had two doubles as ECU outhit the hosts, 8-6.
Ryan Nicholson had a solo homer for the Bearcats in the third to trim the Pirates’ lead to 4-2.
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