Pirates Shut Out Coastal Carolina Behind Norby’s 19 Ks, Wallace’s Grand Slam
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina University secured a dominant 7-0 victory over Coastal Carolina on Friday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium, powered by an electrifying performance from Ethan Norby on the mound and a pair of home runs from Colby Wallace.
Norby’s Dominance on the Mound
Ethan Norby reflected on his performance, saying, "I think these last couple outings, I've stopped putting pressure on myself. Just going out there and being free, that's the biggest thing."
Norby’s 19 strikeouts were the second-most in a single game in ECU history, falling just one short of Hal Baird’s program record of 20 set in 1970. His dominant outing also set a new American Athletic Conference record for strikeouts in a single game by an individual pitcher.
From the opening pitch, Norby was in complete control. The right-hander struck out the side in the first, second, third, and fifth innings, baffling Coastal Carolina hitters with pinpoint command and overpowering stuff. By the time he exited in the eighth inning, Norby had recorded 19 strikeouts—one of the most dominant performances in ECU history. He faced 25 batters, allowing just three hits and no walks while throwing 103 pitches, 73 of which were strikes. His stellar outing lowered his season ERA to 3.00.
Head coach Cliff Godwin praised Norby’s outing, calling it "one of the best pitching performances I have ever seen." He also noted, "I've never seen the first nine batters strike out in a baseball game."
Ethan Young took over in the eighth and continued ECU’s pitching dominance, striking out three batters over 1.2 innings to close out the game. The Pirates’ pitching staff combined for 22 strikeouts while allowing just four hits and one walk in the shutout victory.
Offensive Fireworks from Wallace and Company
Head coach Cliff Godwin spoke about Wallace's performance, saying, "I told C-Wall yesterday, it's not like you're coming out of the game. You just need to go out there and be yourself. He cares so much. He was pressing for sure. I tried to put him down there in the bottom of the lineup so he wouldn't press, and he got some swings off. I'm happy for him. Nobody wants it more than him, for our team."
While Norby was shutting down the Chanticleers, Wallace provided the offensive firepower. ECU got on the board in the fourth inning when Wallace launched a two-run home run to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. An inning later, he delivered a crushing grand slam, sending a towering shot to right field and breaking the game open at 6-0.
Alex Bouche added an RBI double in the eighth to pad the lead, capping off a night where ECU’s offense took advantage of timely hitting and costly mistakes from Coastal Carolina’s defense.
Defensive Execution and Key Contributions
ECU played clean baseball in the field, recording 27 outs without committing an error. Walker Barron provided strong defense behind the plate, managing the pitching staff and controlling the running game.
Several Pirates contributed to the offensive effort. Along with Wallace’s monster night, Braden Burress and Walker Barron collected multiple hits, while Drew Downs reached base three times and scored a run.
Pitching Breakdown:
Ethan Norby (W, 1-0): 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 19 K, 103 TP (73 strikes)
Ethan Young: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 30 TP (17 strikes)
Offensive Standouts:
Colby Wallace: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB
Braden Burress: 2-for-3, 2 R
Walker Barron: 2-for-5, 1 R
Alex Bouche: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Drew Downs: 1-for-2, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 1 R
What’s Next?
East Carolina, which has now won four in a row, will look to clinch the series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET from Clark-LeClair Stadium. The Pirates have built momentum behind strong pitching performances and timely hitting, setting the stage for another key matchup this weekend.