GREENVILLE — East Carolina took a 12-5 win over Xavier to earn a doubleheader split and avoid a series sweep on Saturday.

The Musketeers won the first game Saturday, 9-3.

Jack Herring had a hit, a walk and was hit by a pitch in scoring three runs in the final game of the series as ECU outhit the visitors, 13-7, and played errorless defense.

“A good way to bounce back from, obviously, two disappointing losses,” Herring said on the Pirate radio network. “It took us two games to find that team offense feel.

“That last game was a good effort. That’s what we’re looking for going forward.”

Xavier was a 4-3 winner on Friday.

Austin Irby scored on a double play by the Musketeers to give ECU a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the second game Saturday.

The Pirates scored three runs each in the third, seventh and eighth innings.

Nick Parham scored on a throwing error by the catcher on a pickoff attempt to put ECU ahead to stay at 2-1 in the third.

Irby had three hits with two doubles and three RBIs in the win. Freshman Grady Lanahan had two hits and three RBIs. Walker Barron had three hits with a double, two runs and an RBI.

Freshman right-hander Colby Weber (1-0) started and went five innings for the win. He allowed three hits, two runs (both earned) with one walk and six strikeouts.

“Colby Weber was outstanding,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin. “To be 0-2 on the weekend and your first start, there’s pressure.

“We played really good defense behind him. Nick Parham did a really good job at shortstop. We had to play better defense because the first two games were probably the worst defensive games back to back in my career.

“We had some guys play different positions and Parham did a really good job.”

The win was No. 433 for Godwin, who is in his 12th season as coach at ECU.

Gavin Marley pitched two scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and three whiffs for the Pirates. Frank Ciccone went the last two frames, yielding three hits, two runs (both earned with one walk and one strikeout.

Jackson DiLorenzo threw four pitches at the outset of the eighth before leaving as an injury precaution.

Josh Stonehouse, Peter Johnson and Eddie Peters homered for Xavier in Saturday’s second game.

Tommy Townsend and J.D. Crisp launched round trippers for the Musketeers in the first game Saturday.

West Virginia transfer Gavin Van Kempen (0-1), a senior right-hander, started the first game Saturday for ECU. He held Xavier scoreless for three frames but the Pirates allowed a pair of unearned runs in the fourth and trailed the rest of the way.

Townsend had a 2-run homer in Xavier’s 5-run sixth.

ECU committed two errors in the first game Saturday and allowed two unearned runs.

Herring and freshman Grady Lanahan each had two hits with a double in the middle game of the series. Carlos Jacome had a double.

The Pirates head to Campbell (1-2) for a game Tuesday at 5 p.m.