Tramel, Wallace Power ECU Past Elon for Midweek Win
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Braxton Tramel kept finding barrels, and Colby Wallace made sure East Carolina had the final say.
The Pirates rode a balanced offensive attack and a strong night on the mound from freshman Sean Jenkins to take down Elon 7–5 on Wednesday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium. It marked ECU’s second win in as many days and their 13th win in the last 15 games.
Tramel, who started in left field, went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one coming in the first inning on a line-drive single to center, and another on a double down the right-field line in the sixth. Wallace added a clutch solo homer in the eighth, a no-doubter to left-center that pushed the lead back to two after Elon had trimmed the deficit.
Dixon Williams stayed hot at the top of the order, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI groundout. Braden Burress finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and helped spark a two-run second inning with a perfectly executed bunt single that turned into a misplayed throw and two Pirate runs.
Pirate Bats Stay Hot
East Carolina pounded out 11 hits and drew five walks, continuing their offensive momentum from Tuesday’s win at UNCW. Kenan Bowman went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the sixth. Alex Bouche doubled and scored, while Micheal Kalinich added a single and a walk.
Though ECU stranded 11 runners on base, timely hits from Tramel, Bowman, and Wallace helped the Pirates stay in control most of the night.
Jenkins Sets the Tone, Bullpen Hangs On
Freshman right-hander Sean Jenkins got the start and delivered one of his best outings of the year. Jenkins went 4.1 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out five. He walked two and kept Elon off the board after the first inning, picking up the win to improve to 3–1 on the season.
Colby Wallace followed Jenkins with two innings out of the bullpen. The two-way player struck out three but did allow a solo homer and a two-run shot that let Elon back within striking distance.
Jackson DiLorenzo worked a third of an inning and walked one in the eighth, helping bridge the gap to Lance Williams. Williams closed the game out with 2.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out three and allowing just one hit — a solo homer in the ninth.
The ECU pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts while allowing just five hits over nine innings. The group did not allow a single extra-base hit outside of the three solo home runs.
Another Big One in a Busy Week
With the win, East Carolina improves to 20–10 on the season. The Pirates have now won 13 of their last 15 and continue to show balance across the lineup and depth on the mound key ingredients for the grind of April.
“Following last night’s win was the challenge,” ECU head coach Cliff Godwin said. “I didn’t think we were quite as mentally alert as the last two games, but we did enough to win and we’ll take it.”
In the end, it was another win for ECU, which improved its record to 20–10 overall as it remains home to face Florida Atlantic this weekend. East Carolina has gone 13–2 over its last 15 games following a 7–8 start. Elon dropped to 10–18 on the season with its loss.