CHAPEL HILL — Third-seeded East Carolina scored four runs in the top of the 14th inning to defeat second-seeded Tennessee, 7-3, at Boshamer Stadium on Friday in the opening game of the NCAA regional hosted by North Carolina.
“Our guys hung in there and just kept grinding,” said ECU coach Cliff Godwin on the Pirate radio network. “We were finally able to put them away.”
ECU (37-22-1) will face the Friday winner between top-seeded UNC and No. 4 Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the winners’ bracket.
The Volunteers (38-21) meet the UNC-VCU loser in elimination game on Saturday at noon.
Walker Barron homered to left for the go-ahead run and a 4-3 Pirates lead in the 14th.
Grady Lanahan singled and Matthew Lashley walked before Braden Burress had an RBI single through the left side for a 5-3 ECU advantage.
A double to the left field corner by Colby Wallace brought in Lashley and Burress for a 7-3 lead.
Brett Antolick (3-2) finished on the mound. He pitched two and two-thirds innings with three hits, one run (earned), no walks and five strikeouts.
“So proud of everybody out of the bullpen,” Godwin said. “From Joe Webb to (Ethan) Norby, even Rosie (Ethan Rose) got two ground balls. Charlie Hoagland, they did a sac bunt. Antolick came in and gave us some punchouts.”
Lefty Ryan Towers started for the Pirates and went four innings. He yielded three hits and one run (earned) with one walk and two whiffs.
Webb worked two and one-third frames with no hits, no runs, one walk and three strikeouts.
Norby continued stellar work in relief after earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the American Conference tournament out of the pen. He went four and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and one run (earned) with no walks and eight strikeouts.
Rose allowed two hits but no runs. Hoagland got an out on the only batter he faced.
Pirate pitchers totaled 18 strikeouts.
ECU outhit Tennessee, 15-10, as the Pirates beat a Southeastern Conference opponent in the opening game of a regional for the second straight year. ECU topped Florida, 11-6, at Coastal Carolina in 2025.
Burress went 3-for-7 with a double. Davin Whitaker, Jeff Sabater, Austin Irby and Nick Parham had two hits each.
The Pirates tied the score at 1-1 in the fifth as Parham singled up the middle with two out to score Irby from third. Irby had doubled to right and moved to third on a fly out by Barron.
The Volunteers had taken a 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Blake Grimmer in the fourth.
The score stayed 1-1 until the ninth, thanks to some sterling pitching and defensive plays.
The Vols had a runner at third in the fifth with one away, but the Pirates doubled him off the bag on a liner to second to end the inning.
Burress was tagged out at the plate on a throw from the right fielder in the sixth.
The Volunteers had a runner on third with one out in the seventh before Norby came in to get two strikeouts.
Whitaker led off the ninth with a homer to right center for a 2-1 ECU lead. Henry Ford homered to left off Norby with two out in the bottom of the ninth to knot the score at 2.
Burress doubled to start the 13th and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Whitaker. Burress dove home on a squeeze bunt by Colby Wallace to put the Pirates ahead, 3-2.
Grimmer had an RBI single for Tennessee in the bottom of the 13th.
“We just hung in there and were able to get four,” Godwin said.
Tennessee managed a runner in the 14th on a 2-out single before a grounder to short resulted in a game-ending out at second in a contest that went four hours and 31 minutes.
This is truly one for the ages; the game MVP would need to be shared by many Pirates, and once again, CG offers a Masters class in decision-making.
P. S. I was very surprised by the Norby departure. The broadcasters kept remarking on how CG was “all in” on the game, and so it seemed, so I definitely didn’t expect the EN exit; I hope that he’s OK.
I think getting Antolick back, and with Hoagland being pretty solid his last couple of outings, CG has more go-to arms available. As you noted, CG made the right changes at the right times. I don’t think EN is hurt, or was gassed. I expect CG was saving Norby for at least one more appearance. Hopefully, Antolick has another appearance in him for this regional.
The Pirates saved their best performance of the year for when they needed it most. They will need to keep the pedal down tomorrow, as UNC is looking very solid against VCU.
I hope you’re right.
It’s UNC tomorrow evening, which used very little pitching vs. VCU. It’s likely that a big offensive showing will need to get it done for ECU, at least for tomorrow.
The Pirates played with heart, grit and determination and beat another solid SEC team. By the way the SEC went 10-2 yesterday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was just a great college baseball game in every facet. Cliff once again showed why he is one of the best head coaches in the nation. On to Saturday and a huge matchup with UNC. I think some more magic is coming by these Pirates