GREENVILLE — A record crowd at Clark-LeClair Stadium of 6,017 witnessed a dramatic 10-9 East Carolina triumph over North Carolina on Sunday as the Pirates took the traveling series, 2-1.
After the Tar Heels (5-2) had tied the score at 9 on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, Jacob Starling got a 1-out single through a shift to the left side and Jacob Jenkins-Cowart doubled down the right field line to put runners at second and third.
Dixon Williams was intentionally walked to load the bases before true freshman Bristol Carter singled to right field to bring in the game-ending run.
“It was a Super Regional atmosphere,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin on the Pirate radio network. “We needed every person that came to Clark-LeClair and the Jungle today to help us.”
It didn’t appear the No. 11 Pirates (5-2) would need any late heroics to subdue the No. 15 Tar Heels as ECU starter Jake Hunter worked with a 4-0 lead through five innings.
But Hunter yielded a run in the sixth and ECU could not find a shutdown guy among a parade from the bullpen.
UNC went ahead, 5-4, in the seventh on a 3-run homer by pinch hitter Gavin Gallaher.
ECU was batting as the home team for the first time in the series and was able to answer each surge by the visitors in the late innings.
The Pirates plated three in the seventh to lead, 7-5. Nathan Chrismon scored on a single by Ryley Johnson for a tie at 5. Joey Berini came in with a go-ahead run on a ground out by Carter Cunningham. Starling singled to bring in Johnson for a 7-5 lead.
The advantage disappeared in the top of the eighth as the Heels scored three times for an 8-7 lead.
Luke Nowak came to the rescue with a 2-run homer to right in the bottom of the eighth to put ECU in front, 9-8.
Freshman Jackson Dilorenzo (1-0) came in after a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth and allowed the tying run on a pitch that rolled to the backstop. He stranded the potential go-ahead run at third on a pop-up.
“We just keep battling,” Godwin said. “I’m so proud of our guys. We pretty much used every pitcher available.”
ECU had a 13-8 lead in hits as Jenkins-Cowart was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Johnson, Starling and Berini each had a pair of hits. Cunningham had a solo home run in the fifth.
Hunter gave the Pirates a third solid start in the series as he was charged with one run (earned) through five and one-third innings. He gave up one hit with three walks while striking out six.
ECU plays at Old Dominion (4-3) on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Great back-and-forth contest, which showed both strength and weakness by both teams. Both teams can manufacture runs, and both teams are in serious need of a more mature bull pen. Too bad this series had to be played early in the year. I’m betting both teams will be better off 30-45 days from now – and all these guys aren’t even the “cream” of the state teams. Baseball is alive and well in NC, so far, this year.