The ECU baseball team picked up its second victory of the season by rallying from an early deficit and pulling away to beat Northern Illinois.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
The East Carolina Pirates showed patience at the plate and depth on the mound Wednesday night, rallying from an early deficit to defeat Northern Illinois, 11–5, at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
East Carolina (2–3) collected 11 runs on 11 hits and drew 12 walks in the contest, forcing constant pressure on the NIU pitching staff and using big innings in the middle of the game to take control. The Pirates left 15 runners on base but delivered timely hits, finishing 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position and producing several key two-out RBI that helped shift momentum.
After spotting Northern Illinois an early lead, ECU answered with two runs in the third inning before breaking through in the fourth. The Pirates strung together walks and extra-base hits to score four runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-out, three-run home run from Carlos Jacome and an RBI double from Jack Vogele. East Carolina added three more runs in the seventh inning and another in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Vogele led the offense with two doubles and three RBI, consistently delivering in the middle of the lineup. Davin Whitaker added a three-run homer and finished with three RBI, while Jacome also drove in three runs with his go-ahead blast in the fourth. Braden Burress reached base five times with two hits and three walks, scoring twice and setting the table throughout the night. Jack Herring added two hits, two runs and an RBI, while Austin Irby worked two walks and added a hit. Colby Wallace contributed a base hit and scored, and Walker Barron reached base twice as ECU’s lineup combined to see more than 200 pitches.
On the mound, ECU’s bullpen took control after the early innings. Frank Ciccone earned the win with 2.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs while striking out two and keeping the game within reach until the offense broke through. Luke Payne followed with a scoreless inning, Gavin Marley struck out two in two-thirds of an inning, and Ethan Rose added 1.1 shutout innings to maintain ECU’s lead. Charlie Hoagland finished the night with 1.2 scoreless innings to secure the save. The Pirates’ staff combined for eight strikeouts and limited damage in key situations, stranding multiple runners to keep the Huskies from regaining momentum.
Defensively, East Carolina played a clean game, committing just one error while turning a key double play to stop a potential rally. The Pirates also excelled in situational baseball, working counts, drawing walks and advancing runners to create scoring opportunities in nearly every inning.
The Pirates move to 2–3 on the season and now turn their attention to one of the most highly anticipated series of the early schedule, a three-game set against No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels.
The traveling series begins Friday (Feb. 20) in Greenville, where the Tar Heels will visit Clark-LeClair Stadium for the first matchup of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. EST in Greenville.
The series will then shift to a neutral-site showdown Saturday (Feb. 21) at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The finale is set for Sunday (Feb. 22), when the Pirates travel to Chapel Hill for the series’ final game on North Carolina’s home field.