Pirates Grind Out the Brooms in Houston, Stay Perfect in AAC Play
It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective, East Carolina leaned on small ball, timely hitting, and some gritty pitching to finish off a three-game sweep over Rice with an 8-5 win Sunday at Reckling Park.
Make no mistake, this series wasn’t a walk in the park. Rice came to play all weekend, keeping things close throughout. The Pirates won the three games by a combined seven runs, but at the end of it, they walked out of Houston at 6-0 in AAC play and 18-10 overall.
They’re the only team still unbeaten in conference action. UTSA and USF also swept their weekend series and sit at 5-1, while Charlotte trails at 4-2. The rest of the pack? Stuck at .500 or worse.
Seven Sac Bunts?! Yes, You Read That Right
Sunday’s offensive game plan was all about execution not power. ECU scored in six of the first seven innings and racked up 10 hits, but only two went for extra bases. What stood out most? The Pirates tied a school record with seven sacrifice bunts, the most under Cliff Godwin and the first time hitting that mark since 1987 against James Madison.
Drew Downs laid down three of them himself after entering as a pinch runner. Ryley Johnson, Braden Burress, Alex Bouche, and Austin Irby chipped in one each.
Pruett Delivers Again
Brad Pruett has quietly become one of ECU’s most reliable arms, and Sunday proved it. After locking down the save Friday, he came back and tossed four solid innings in the finale, allowing just two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. No walks. That effort earned him the win and moved him to 2-2 on the season with a 2.59 ERA.
When things got tight in the ninth, Cliff Godwin turned to Colby Wallace—yeah, the third baseman. Wallace came in with two on and one out and slammed the door for his second save of the year.
Bullpen by Committee
Jackson DiLorenzo opened the game for the second straight Sunday and gave ECU 1.1 innings before Ian White came in and escaped a jam in the second. Freshman Sean Jenkins followed and showed flashes of what he can bring, striking out three over 2.1 innings. He did allow a three-run homer to Rice’s Jacob Devenny, but the Pirates responded quickly to keep control.
Everyone Chipped In
Ryley Johnson wasted no time getting ECU on the board, laying down a safety squeeze to score Dixon Williams in the first. Williams returned the favor with an RBI single in the second, and Braxton Tramel knocked in another in the third.
Burress and Wallace each drove in runs in the fourth to stretch it to 5-0, and even after Rice trimmed the lead with a homer in the fifth, ECU answered. Irby doubled in a run that inning, added another with a suicide squeeze in the seventh, and Jack Herring tacked on an RBI single to cap the scoring.
The Pirates are clicking right now. Not necessarily with power—but with discipline, grit, and a team-first approach.
What’s Next
Next up: ECU heads to Wilmington for a midweek matchup against UNCW on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6 p.