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Published May 26, 2021
ECU Jumps Out Big, Holds On Late For 13-9 Win Over Cincinnati
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Mark Lindsay  •  PirateIllustrated
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ECU got their offense cranked up on Wednesday and led by as much as ten runs before holding on late to pick up an 13-9 win over Cincinnati in the loser’s bracket on the AAC Baseball Tournament at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida.

Matt Bridges picked up the win for the Pirates to improve to 4-1 while Zach Agnos came on late to grab the save. ECU went through eight pitchers all told while Cincinnati used four.

ECU(39-14) scored four runs in the second and added six runs in the fifth. Connor Norby pounded out a pair right field home runs and Bryson Worrell added a third late in the contest that put the game out of reach.

Ryder Giles’ base hit to left in the bottom of the second along with Norby’s second homer of the day, good for three runs to right centerfield, added to an early lead and quickly found the Pirates up 5-0.

After 2.2 innings Cam Colmore entered to replace East Carolina starting pitcher Matt Bridges who went just 50 pitches with no earned runs on three hits and five strikeouts. Colmore pitched and inning and two thirds before Landon Ginn came on in relief.

With the bases loaded in the fourth Wyatt Stepp sacrificed to left field to score one run, but Cincinnati left two base runners stranded in a 5-1 contest.

Cincinnati(29-26) loaded the bases again in the fifth when when A.J. Wilson entered in relief of Landon Ginn and struck out both Ryan Nicholson and Tanner Hollen and for the second straight time the Bearcats blew another quality opportunity to make a comeback.

Dean McCarthy replaced Cincinnati losing starting pitcher Zach Segal(5-4) in the sixth inning and with the bases loaded for ECU, Jacob Starling came in to pinch hit for Alec Makarewicz and singled to score a run. Lane Hoover then reached on a throwing error from McCarthy to produce another run before Ryder Giles and Connor Norby both walked to give ECU an eight run cushion. Thomas Francisco’s base hit to right to give the Pirates an 11-1 cushion.

Josh Grosz entered in the sixth inning for A.J. Wilson on the mound in what turned out to be largely a staff day for the Pirates before C.J. Mayhue came on later in the sixth.

Jace Mercer then doubled to score a pair of Cincinnati runs before Bellini homered to score three more to quickly make it 11-6 with no outs before the Bearcats left two stranded on second and third base to end the inning.

Cincinnati scored two more runs on a Nicholson double in the eighth inning to cut the ECU lead to a field goal at 11-8 before stranding three on base.

Then Bryson Worrell’s home run and Lane Hoover’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth expanded the Pirate lead back to four at 13-8.

In the ninth, Cincinnati pinch hitter Jake Murray homered off of Zach Agnos in a 13-9 contest to round out the scoring.

ECU will now take on the loser of Game 7 between No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 5 UCF at 1 o’clock on Friday.

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