GREENVILLE — East Carolina had a 5-game winning streak halted as Florida Atlantic used back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to top the Pirates, 6-5, on Friday night in the opening game of an American Athletic Conference series.

It was the first league loss for ECU (20-11, 6-1 AAC).

The Pirates had a 3-1 lead in the fourth when Marshall Lipsey of the Owls (21-9, 3-4 AAC) hit a 3-run homer to right center with two out off Ethan Norby (4-3) for a 4-3 FAU lead. Patrick Ward followed with a solo homer to left and the Owls maintained the advantage the rest of the way.

ECU scored lone runs in each of the first three innings after Lipsey had given the visitors a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the top of the first.

Colby Wallace singled to score Dixon Williams in the bottom of the first. A run came home on a double play in the second. Wallace had an RBI double in the third.

Jake Duer had an infield single for the Owls in the sixth that scored a run for a 6-3 lead.

Braxton Tramel had a run-scoring double with one out in the eighth, but M.J. Bollinger came in to strand runners at second and third.

Wallace had a 2-out single in the ninth to score pinch runner Chance Hall, but Bollinger got a game-ending strikeout to leave two runners aboard and pick up his sixth save.

Sophomore lefty Trey Beard (5-0) went seven innings for the Owls. He yielded five hits, four runs (all earned) with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Steven Andrews got one out in the eighth but allowed two hits before Bollinger was summoned.

Norby and Jake Hunter each went four and one-third innings for ECU. Norby yielded seven hits, five runs (all earned) with three walks and seven whiffs. Hunter allowed four hits, one run (earned) with one walk and three strikeouts. Brad Pruett retired the only batter he faced in the ninth with a 3-pitch strikeout.

The second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m.