GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU ATHLETICS) – East Carolina grabbed an early lead over Florida Atlantic in Sunday’s series finale, but the visitors scored in each of the final four innings to collect an 8-6 victory and complete an American Athletic Conference series sweep inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Owls (23-9, 5-4 AAC), who were swept by UTSA just last weekend, clubbed three more home runs as the Pirates (20-13, 6-3 AAC) finished with a slight 12-11 advantage in the hit column. ECU committed a season-high four errors and were 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
Sean Jenkins (3-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Carter Holjes (1-1) notched his first win of the campaign, tossing a scoreless frame, while MJ Bollinger secured his second save of the weekend and seventh of the season by holding the Pirates without a run over the final two innings.
Braden Burress, Walker Barron and Austin Irby all logged two-hit performances for East Carolina with Irby adding two RBI to his ledger. Ayden Garcia, John Schroeder and Brando Leroux paced FAU with two hits and two RBI each.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Owls jumped on top in the second with a two-run shot to right, but the Pirates responded with a four spot in the home half. Tramel smashed a leadoff home run to right center before Irby delivered a two-run single and Burress drove in the fourth run with an RBI groundout.
The sides traded runs in the third and fourth innings as well as scoring one apiece in the sixth frame to leave ECU ahead by a 6-4 margin. Florida Atlantic plated four unanswered to end the contest though as Leroux’s solo long ball in the eighth proved to be the decisive tally.
The Pirates mounted one last rally in the bottom of the ninth as Burress and Colby Wallace singled consecutively with one out. Bollinger would complete the job, however, by inducing a pair of fly balls to left and right field that stayed in the yard.
Up Next: East Carolina plays host to NC State Tuesday, April 8th, at 6 p.m.
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