GREENVILLE — Carson Bayne hit a ninth-inning grand slam to lift Charlotte to an 8-7 win at East Carolina and prevent the Pirates from sweeping the American Athletic Conference series on Sunday.
ECU trailed, 8-6, after the opposite field blast by Bayne down the right field line off of Jackson DiLorenzo (1-1). The Pirates got one run back in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Justin Wilcoxen with two out, but the potential tying run was stranded.
ECU (27-8, 8-4 AAC) slipped to second in the AAC standings, one game behind Texas-San Antonio, which won, 7-5, at Memphis on Sunday.
The 49ers (16-20, 5-7 AAC) took a 2-0 lead on a 2-run single by Bayne in the third. Bayne had six RBIs.
ECU scored four runs in the fourth. Charlotte coach Robert Woodard was ejected after a 3-run double by Ryley Johnson gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead, apparently for his reaction to a 13-pitch walk to Joey Berini that loaded the bases with two out before Johnson’s lead changing two-bagger.
Carter Cunningham doubled down the right field line to score Johnson for a 4-2 lead.
Cunningham hit his ninth homer of the season for a 5-2 lead in the seventh.
ECU was ahead, 7-4, after Colby Wallace scored on a wild pitch in the eighth.
The outcome ended a 5-game winning streak for the Pirates, who play at William & Mary (25-11) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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