East Carolina’s baseball team is back in the AAC Tournament final after a dramatic 9-7 victory over South Florida on Saturday.
The Pirates (32-25), the No. 6 seed, will face No. 3 Tulane, which beat No. 1 UTSA, 6-3, in Sunday’s title game. The contest is slated for noon.
Below is more information from the AAC.
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Photo credit: Braden Burress (Conor Kvatek, AAC photo)
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Three runs in the top of the ninth inning propelled No. 6 East Carolina to an 9-7 win over No. 3 South Florida on Saturday afternoon, May 24, to advance to the final of the 2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.
The Pirates (32-25) will now face Tulane in the final on Sunday, May 25 at noon on ESPNEWS and ESPN+. East Carolina and Tulane faced each other in the 2023 final, with Tulane prevailing, 8-6.
Down 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Dixon Williams hit a 3-run home run to right, his 12th long ball of the season, to give East Carolina a 6-4 lead. South Florida (31-25) responded in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back solo home runs by Bradke Lohry and Carter Murphy.
Brian Burress led off the top of the ninth with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to left field to give the Pirates a 7-6 lead. Ryley Johnson tripled to left to score Dixon Williams and Colby Wallace followed with an RBI single to score Johnson and give ECU a 9-6 advantage.
Murphy hit an RBI double off the wall in right field to score Lohry to bring the score to 9-7 in the bottom of the ninth.
Ethan Norby, who entered the game in the bottom of the eighth, earned the win, allowing one run in 1.2 innings of work.
Corey Braun (8-4) took the loss for South Florida, allowing five runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings of relief.
2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions
BayCare Ballpark | Clearwater, Fla.
Championship Central
Tuesday, May 20
Game 1: No. 5 Tulane 6, No. 4 Florida Atlantic 3 | Box Score | Highlights
Game 2: No. 1 UTSA 4, No. 8 Rice 2 | Box Score | Highlights
Game 3: No. 2 Charlotte 7, No. 7 Wichita State 1 | Box Score | Highlights
Game 4: No. 6 East Carolina 9, No. 3 South Florida 4 | Box Score | Highlights
Wednesday, May 21
Game 5: No. 4 Florida Atlantic 8, No. 8 Rice 6 (Rice eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Game 6: No. 3 South Florida 4, No. 7 Wichita State 3 (Wichita State eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Thursday, May 22
Game 7: No. 5 Tulane 10, No. 1 UTSA 6 | Box Score | Highlights
Game 8: No. 6 East Carolina 6, No. 2 Charlotte 5 | Box Score | Highlights
Friday, May 23
Game 9: No. 1 UTSA 6, No. 4 Florida Atlantic 3 (Florida Atlantic eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Game 10: No. 3 South Florida 7, No. 2 Charlotte 6 (Charlotte eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Saturday, May 24
Game 11: No. 5 Tulane 6, No. 1 UTSA 3 (UTSA eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Game 12: No. 6 East Carolina 9, No. 3 South Florida 7 (South Florida eliminated) | Box Score | Highlights
Sunday, May 25
Game 15: No. 6 East Carolina vs. No. 5 Tulane | Noon | ESPNEWS and ESPN+