GREENVILLE — Wichita State got the first run in the opening game of an American Conference series at East Carolina on Friday night, but the Pirates’ bullpen held the Shockers scoreless over the last seven and two-thirds innings in a 7-1 ECU victory.

The first five runs of the game came with two out.

Nolan Ganter gave the Shockers a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single. The run came after a walk and hit batter from ECU starter Luke Payne.

Gavin Marley came in for Payne with one out and the bases loaded in the second. He got the Pirates out of the inning unscathed with a fly out and a strikeout.

“I knew I had to fill it up early (the strike zone),” said Marley on the ECU radio network. “That’s just what we do out of the bullpen.”

Marley turned in three innings. He allowed one hit, no walks and struck out four.

Ethan Rose (3-1) went one and one-third innings for the win. He yielded two hits and one walk with one whiff.

Joe Webb pitched the last three and one-third innings for his second save. He allowed one hit and no walks while fanning six.

ECU hurlers stranded 12 baserunners.

Wichita State (23-16, 7-6 American) committed four errors and allowed five unearned runs. Shockers starter Matthew Cuccias (3-2) went four innings and was charged with the loss.

The Pirates pulled even in the second as Grady Lanahan came home on a single up the middle by Walker Barron.

Jack Herring’s 417-foot home run to right center with Barron aboard gave ECU a 3-1 lead in the fifth.

The Pirates extended the lead to 4-1 in the sixth as Colby Wallace’s single to left brought in Jeff Sabater.

A sacrifice fly by Wallace with one out in the eighth gave ECU a 5-1 advantage. A 2-out double by Nick Parham drove in a pair of runs and pushed the lead to its final proportions.

“We gutted that one out,” said Coach Cliff Godwin. “A great team win. Super proud of our guys.”

The Pirates moved to 23-15-1 overall and 8-5 in league play, outhitting the visitors, 6-5, while making one error. Barron had two hits.

Lanahan left the field in the eighth after being hit by a pitch that was up and in.

The series schedule has been adjusted. Game two will be on Saturday at 3 p.m. and the third game has been set for Sunday at 11 a.m.