(13)ECU won their ninth straight game and remained undefeated in AAC play after a 5-1 Sunday road victory at USF.
The Pirates’ third win of the weekend was highlighted by Bryant Packard’s second grand slam of the weekend and an Alec Burleson homer midway into the contest.
With the win, ECU improves to 21-6 and 6-0 in league play.
Pirate Sunday starter Jake Kuchmaner(3-0) went five and a third innings, giving up just one run on four hits with six strikeouts to pick up the win before Cam Colmore and Gavin Williams came on in succession out of the ECU bullpen.
ECU loaded the bases in the second inning for Packard who launched a bomb over the left centerfield fence to give the Pirates an early 4-0 lead.
It wasn’t long before USF(12-14/1-5 AAC) pitcher Dylan Burns was lifted in favor of relief pitcher Noah Yager. Burns was burned for three earned runs in just 1.2 innings of work and fell to 0-2 with the loss for the Bulls.
USF closer Nelson Alverez eventually made his first appearance of the weekend in the top of the eighth.
The Pirates picked up a solo home run in the fifth inning from Alec Burleson, his third of the weekend, as the ECU lead grew to 5-0.
Tyler Dietrich’s double scored USF’s only run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth.
Attendance: 706
