BIRMINGHAM — Colby Wallace hit a solo homer to left field with two out in the top of the first and East Carolina led the rest of the way in a 12-7 American Athletic Conference series-opening win at Alabama Birmingham on Thursday night.

The Pirates improved to 23-16 overall and 8-5 in the AAC going into the second game of the series on Friday at 6 p.m. (ESPN+). The Blazers slipped to 19-19 for the season and 4-9 in league play.

Austin Irby (double), Alex Bouche, Braden Burress and Jack Herring had run-scoring hits as ECU expanded its lead to 5-0 with four runs in the second.

Logan Braunchweig got UAB on the board with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the second.

Nick Hollifield cut the lead to 5-4 with an RBI double in the fourth.

The Pirates outhit the hosts, 16-11, in their third straight win as Wallace went 3-for-5 and Burress had two hits with three RBIs.

Burress had a 2-rin single in the sixth.

In ECU’s 3-run seventh, Alex Peltier was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Walker Barron had a 2-run single up the middle.

Todd Clay had a 2-run homer for the Blazers in the eighth and J.P. Head had drove in a run for UAB with a single in the ninth.

Ethan Young (4-0) pitched five and two-thirds innings in relief for the win. He allowed four hits and three runs (all earned) with two walks and six strikeouts.