GREENVILLE — East Carolina used a familiar Friday night formula — Trey Yesavage on the mound — to down South Florida, 11-1, in seven innings at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The No. 5 Pirates improved to 36-8 overall and 15-4 in the American Athletic Conference as Yesavage pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts.

Yescavage’s efficiency contributed to the brevity of a contest that was completed in one hour and 51 minutes. The right-hander’s record is now 10-1 and his earned run average dipped to 1.69.

Run support was there early as the Pirates took a 7-0 lead by scoring in each of the first three innings.

The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the first as Ryley Johnson came home on a wild pitch and Jacob Starling had a run-scoring double.

Jacob Jenkins-Cowart had a 3-run double in the second. Justin Wilcoxen had a 2-run homer in the third.

Bristol Carter had a sacrifice fly in the fifth. A 2-run homer by Dixon Williams gave ECU a 10-1 lead in the seventh inning before Joey Berini’s RBI single down the right field line ended the action on the 10-run rule in the seventh..

The Pirates had an 11-5 lead in hits. Wilcoxen and Bristol Carter each had two hits for ECU.

ECU and USF (22-23, 8-11 AAC) play the second game of the series on Saturday at 4 p. m.