GREENVILLE — East Carolina won its first American Conference game of the season on Friday night, surviving a bases-loaded threat by Alabama-Birmingham in the top of the ninth for a 3-2 victory at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Ethan Norby, Joe Webb and Sean Jenkins pitched effectively as the Pirates improved to 14-8-1 overall.

UAB (13-9) scored first in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Landon Beaver.

ECU pulled even in the bottom of the third when Davin Whitaker came home on a ground out to short by Braden Burress.

The Pirates went ahead to stay when Colby Wallace singled to left on a 3-0 pitch with two out in the fourth to bring in Jack Herring.

ECU added an important insurance run in the seventh when Carlos Jacome scored on a 2-out single to right-center by Walker Barron for a 3-1 Pirates lead.

That margin allowed the Pirates to withstand a run in the ninth that scored on a wild pitch.

After the Blazers got the leadoff man on base on an error to start the ninth, a single and a walk loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed a run before Jenkins stranded runners at second and third with a game-ending strikeout for his third save.

“Our third-straight one-run win,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin on the Pirate radio network. “These close games will help us later on.”

Norby (2-1) started and pitched six innings. He allowed five hits and one run (earned) while walking two and striking out six. He hit two batters.

Webb came on for two scoreless innings, yielding one hit with no walks and a pair of whiffs.

Jenkins surrendered one hit and an unearned run in the ninth with one walk and three strikeouts.

ECU had six hits by six different players, including a double by Grady Lanahan.

Starter Mason Steele (2-2) yielded three earned runs in six innings for the Blazers and took the loss.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).