NEW ORLEANS — Tulane scored the deciding run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a hit batter with the bases loaded Friday night for a 6-5 American Athletic Conference win over No. 6 East Carolina

After a 10-game winning streak, the Pirates (37-11, 16-6 AAC) have dropped three straight.

ECU looks to get back on track in a matchup with the Green Wave (27-23, 11-11 AAC) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of the series.

The Pirates have a 2-game lead over second-place Texas San Antonio in the league standings. Tulane is tied for third with Charlotte and Wichita State.

The hosts had a 5-1 lead Friday night on a 2-run homer by James Agabedis III in the second and a 3-run shot by Connor Rasmussen in the fourth.

ECU had gone ahead, 1-0, in the first when Jacob Starling singled to score Carter Cunningham.

The Pirates tied the score at 5 with four runs in the fifth as Cunningham and Starling had RBI singles before Jacob Jenkins-Cowart came home on a double steal.

Gavin Schulz tripled to start the bottom of the ninth. Pirate closer Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman hit Michael Lombardi with a pitch and Marcus Cline was intentionally walked before Colin Tuft was plunked to end the game. Lunsford-Shenkman (3-2) was returning from an injury.

Trey Yesavage started and went five and two-thirds innings for ECU. He yielded seven hits and five runs (all earned) while walking three and striking out eight. Lunsford-Shenkman was the fifth Pirate pitcher of the night.

Starling went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. All nine of ECU’s hits were singles.