GREENVILLE — Relief pitching was effective for East Carolina after spotting UNC-Wilmington a 4-0 lead and the Pirates rallied for a 7-4 win on Tuesday night to sweep the season series with the Seahawks.
ECU (17-6) had posted an 8-7 triumph in 10 innings in the Port City on March 12.
“We played much better tonight,” said skipper Cliff Godwin on the Pirate radio network after 4,906 witnessed a steady comeback at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The bullpen, a source of concern early in the season, held UNCW (14-11) scoreless over the last seven and two-thirds innings.
Erik Ritchie and Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (3-1) each pitched three innings out of the pen. Aaron Groller and Danny Beal contributed scoreless relief stints.
“Definitely, the bullpen was the MVP of today,” Godwin said.
Ritchie (3) and Lunsford-Shenkman (4) combined for all seven of the Pirates’ strikeouts.
ECU scored three runs in the seventh inning to lead, 6-4. Pinch hitter Colby Wallace reached on an error before Carter Cunningham and Jacob Starling were hit by pitches to load the bases. Pinch runner Nathan Chrismon and Cunningham scored on a single through the right side by Ryan McCrystal to put the Pirates ahead, 5-4.
Justin Wilcoxen singled up the middle to plate Starling for a 6-4 lead.
Carter Cunningham delivered a liner to right to bring in Joey Berini after his leadoff triple to the right field corner in the eighth.
The Seahawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a 2-run homer by Trevor Marsh after John Newton had singled on a 1-2 pitch to start the game.
UNCW extended its lead to 4-0 in the second as Jac Croom belted a solo shot to right and Kyle Dobos had a sacrifice fly that brought in Kevin Jones.
Chaz Myers hit a 2-run homer down the left field line in the bottom of the second to get the Pirates on the board and cut the lead to 4-2.
A sacrifice fly by Starling brought ECU within 4-3 in the fifth.
Getting two hits each for the Pirates were Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Starling, McCrystal, and Berini.
The Pirates, coming off a 1-2 start in American Athletic Conference play, return to league action on Thursday at 6 p.m., weather permitting, against Alabama-Birmingham (12-12, 1-2 AAC). The 3-game series with the Blazers is scheduled to continue on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon. All three games will be shown on ESPN+.
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