GREENVILLE — The unpredictability of baseball was illustrated on Saturday in Penn’s 1-0 win at East Carolina.

The Pirates had dispatched the Quakers, 17-3, on Friday but pitching took over in the second game of the series.

The visitors scored the only run in the ninth when Gavin Degnan doubled to left with one out. He came home on a 2-out double down the left field line by Gavin Collier off Sean Jenkins (2-1).

The Pirates (11-8-1) threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Braden Burress was hit by a pitch and went to second on a wild pitch. Matthew Lashley was hit by a pitch to give ECU runners at first and second with none out.

Penn (3-9) escaped the comeback bid as Connor Darling induced a pop out on a bunt, a foul out and a ground out.

The Pirates had scored 62 runs in a 4-game winning streak of shortened games.

“Tough one,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin on the Pirate radio network. “We’ll be ready tomorrow.”

The deciding game of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

Gavin Van Kempen started and gave ECU six scoreless innings on Saturday with four hits, no walks and 14 strikeouts. Jenkins pitched the last three with three hits, one run (earned), no walks and three whiffs.

Marty Coyne (1-2) went eight innings for the Quakers. He yielded four hits and fanned four before Darling recorded his second save.

Lashley had two of the Pirates’ four hits.