GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU ATHLETICS) – A season-long relief effort by Ethan Young in a close contest and a campaign-high 16 hits out of the offense propelled East Carolina past host UAB 12-7 Thursday night in the teams’ American Athletic Conference series opener at Young Memorial Field.
The Pirates (23-16, 8-5 AAC) jumped on top of the Blazers (19-19, 4-9 AAC) early before breaking open a tight affair with seven runs over the sixth through eighth innings.
Young (4-0) picked up the win by tossing 5.2 frames and allowing just three earned runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. UAB starter Chase Ingram (2-4) lasted just 1.1 innings and surrendered five runs on six hits with no walks or strikeouts.
A total of seven ECU hitters registered at least two hits as Colby Wallace led the way with a 3-for-5 effort which included a home run and two runs scored. Braden Burress drove in a club-best three runs and logged two hits. Todd Clay paced the home lineup with three hits and two RBI.
Wallace put the Pirates ahead with a two-out solo home run in the top of the first before ECU put up a four spot in the second with a seven-hit barrage. Walker Barron led off the half inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by John Collins and scored via an Austin Irby RBI double. Alex Peltier then doubled down the right field line and prompted crossed home when Alex Bouche shot a single through the left side to make it 3-0. Burress and Jack Herring capped the frame with RBI singles of their own to leave the Pirates ahead by five.
After Logan Braunschweig cut the East Carolina lead to two with a three-run homer in the bottom of the second, the Blazers drew within 5-4 in the fourth with a Nick Hollifield run-scoring double. Young would settle in after that, holding UAB scoreless until the eighth and affording the Pirates the opportunity to extend their advantage.
Irby sparked the top of the sixth inning with a leadoff single before a throwing error on a Peltier bunt put two runners on with no outs. Burress eventually plated both on an RBI single to give ECU some breathing room at 7-4. Then, in the seventh, Peltier was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Bouche ripped a two-run single up the middle to push the Pirates in front by six.
Wallace began the eighth with an infield single and Dixon Williams roped a double down the right field line to bring up Barron who promptly laced a two-run single up the middle to continue the hit parade. With East Carolina in control at 12-4, the Blazers wrapped up the scoring with three runs in the final two innings to account for the final margin.
Up Next: ECU and UAB continue the series Friday evening at 6 p.m. EDT
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