Pirates drop 9-4 decision to Seahawks

by | Mar 19, 2025

UNC Wilmington scored seven runs after trailing early then held on for a 9-4 victory over East Carolina on Tuesday in a game played in Fayetteville’s Segra Stadium.

The Pirates (12-9) look to bounce back starting Friday when they open AAC play at home against Memphis.

Below is a full report from ECU Sports Information. Videos are from Pirate Radio.

Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)

By ECUPirates.com

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – UNCW scored seven runs in the third and fourth innings to erase an early deficit and eventually downed East Carolina 9-4 in a neutral site contest Tuesday evening at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.

The Pirates (12-9) saw a five-game winning streak come to an end as the pitching staff issued seven walks and hit three Seahawk (11-10) batters.

Aubrey Smith (1-3) collected his first win of the campaign on the mound, limiting ECU to one run on two hits with four strikeouts and no walks in 4.0 innings of work. Ian White Jr. (2-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on a lone hit with a walk and strikeout in one frame pitched.

Six different UNCW batters logged two hits each while Kevin Jones and Tanner Thach combined to post five RBI at the top of the lineup. Colby Wallace paced the Pirates with two hits and Braden Burress drove in a pair of runs.

The Seahawks jumped ahead with an unearned run in the top of the first. East Carolina then put up a three spot in the home half of the second when Wallace and Kenan Bowman singled with one out, Alex Bouche put down a squeeze bunt to plate Wallace and Burress ripped a two run, two-out double to the wall in left.

UNCW was able to pull away in the third and fourth frames, taking advantage of a quartet of walks and producing timely hitting to surge in front 8-3. The teams then traded single tallies in the top of the fifth and bottom of the sixth to provide the game’s final margin.

Postgame Notes Graphic

  • UNCW reduced East Carolina’s lead in the all-time series to 84-65. The teams met at a neutral site for the first time since May 18, 2000, at the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Manteo, N.C.
  • The clubs combined to leave 24 runners on base, but the Seahawks were 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position and 8-for-17 with two outs.
  • The game was the fifth of the season for ECU at a current minor league park. The Pirates are 3-2 in those affairs.
  • Dixon Williams extended his hitting streak to eight games and has reached base safely in 17 consecutive contests.

Up Next: East Carolina officially begins the hunt for a sixth-straight American Athletic Conference regular season title this weekend (March 21-23) when it hosts Memphis.

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