ECU Dominates VCU in Two-Game Road Sweep, Byrd Records First Career RBI
East Carolina’s spring break trip to Richmond was nothing short of a success. The Pirates completed a two-game sweep over Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Wednesday, capping off the brief road stint with an emphatic 11-1 victory inside ‘The Diamond’ ballpark in Virginia.
ECU, which also claimed a 12-2 win in eight innings on Tuesday, outscored the Rams 23-3 over the two-game series, resulting in a dominant plus-20 run differential. With these victories, the Pirates improved to 9-8 on the season and will return to Greenville for a three-game home series against William & Mary this weekend. Meanwhile, VCU, a team coming off a regional appearance in 2023, dropped to 4-12, continuing its early-season struggles.
Byrd’s Milestone Moment
One of the most significant moments from Wednesday’s game was Parker Byrd’s first career RBI. Byrd, who lost his right leg below the knee in a boating accident in the summer of 2022, has been a symbol of perseverance in his return to baseball. After recording three plate appearances in 2024 as a redshirt freshman, Byrd stepped up for his first at-bat of the season in the top of the ninth and delivered. He lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Walker Barron to score from third, sealing the final run in ECU’s 11-1 rout.
Pitching Performance Breakdown
Nick Moran led the charge on the mound with an outstanding performance, securing his first win of the season. Liberty transfer Moran (1-0) delivered five scoreless innings, taking a no-hitter into the fourth before allowing his only hit of the game on a bloop single. He finished with three strikeouts and one walk, retiring 15 of the 17 batters he faced.
Following Moran, Blake Zayac provided two solid innings in relief, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out one. Bradley Beschloss closed out the game with two dominant innings, giving up just one hit while striking out four.
VCU struggled to find any rhythm offensively, with its lone run coming in the sixth inning. ECU’s pitching staff held the Rams in check for the second straight game, limiting them to a combined three runs across the two contests.
Pirates Jump Out Early
The offensive tone was set early as ECU jumped on VCU starter Drew Ramos in the first inning. Ramos lasted just 0.2 innings, surrendering two hits and four walks while being charged with four runs.
John Collins delivered a key RBI double to get the Pirates on the board, while Alex Bouche and Alex Peltier both worked bases-loaded walks to extend the lead to 4-0. The Pirates never looked back, tacking on runs in multiple innings while keeping VCU’s bats silent.
Key Player Performances
Braden Burress: 2-for-5, 3 runs, 1 walk, 2 stolen bases
Dixon Williams: 1-for-5, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 1 walk
John Collins: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks
Alex Peltier: 1-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI
Parker Byrd: Sacrifice fly, 1 RBI
Looking Ahead
With the road trip behind them, ECU now turns its attention to a weekend home series against William & Mary. The Pirates will look to build on their momentum and continue their climb above .500 in what has been an up-and-down start to the season