On a night where the Pirates just couldn’t put the bat to the ball, the UNC Wilmington Seahawks outhit ECU 13-6 to run away with a 10-3 victory in Wilmington.
Bryan Bass (0-for-5), Jack Reinheimer (0-for-4), Nick Thompson and Drew Reynolds (both 0-for-3) all struggled offensively for the Pirates and it showed on the scoreboard. The Seahawks scored seven unanswered runs from the second to the sixth inning to cruise comfortably to a win.
Down 7-1 in the seventh inning, ECU scored two runs after an error by UNCW’s Luis Renvill to pull within four. But that would be the closest the Pirates would get as the Seahawks scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to reach the games final score.
In need of seven runs in the ninth inning, ECU’s Chase McDonald singled to start the top of the ninth off right. But a fly out and two ground outs later and the Pirates ended the night with a loss.
Tyler Bolton (0-1) got the loss for ECU in his first collegiate start. Bolton allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings of work. Four pirates pitched in relief, led by Jake Harris (three runs on four hits with two walks in two innings).
The Pirates had just five batters record hits in the loss. Jay Cannon led the team with two hits, one run scored a home run and an RBI in three at bats.
Cannon’s home run was the first run of the game to give ECU a 1-0 lead in the second inning. This was the only run the Pirates scored before the Seahawks’ 7-0 run over four innings, highlighted by a home run by UNCW’s Ryan LaGrange in the bottom of the third to give the Seahawks the lead.
The Pirates get back to work Wednesday, March 20, at home against High Point. It will be ECU’s final game before opening Conference USA play against Houston.