HOUSTON — Alex Bouche put East Carolina ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and he hit a 2-run homer in the fourth as the Pirates won, 4-2, at Rice on Friday night.

ECU improved to 16-10 overall and 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference with an opening win in its first AAC road series. Rice (6-21, 1-3 AAC) hosts game two of the series on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Sophomore left-hander Ethan Norby (4-2) started and went seven innings for the win. He allowed five hits and two runs (both earned) with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Brad Pruett pitched the last two innings for his second save. He didn’t yield a hit or a walk while striking out three.

Braden Burress had two doubles as the Pirates outhit the Owls, 7-5.

Bouche, a junior transfer from Old Dominion, had five assists and two putouts at shortstop in addition to three RBIs at the plate.

Rice closed within 4-2 in the fifth on a 2-run homer by Blaine Brown.