Ethan Norby’s historic 19 Ks, Colby Wallace’s grand slam lift ECU

by | Mar 8, 2025

Ethan Norby had a night everyone was talking about and likely will for a long time.

He struck out an unreal 19 batters to break school and AAC records over 7.1 innings in a 7-0 victory over No. 24 Coastal Carolina. Colby Wallace helped out the cause with two home runs, including a grand slam.

ECU Sports Information has more on the incredible night. Videos are from Pirate Radio.

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Photo credit: Ethan Norby, ECU Sports Information

By ECUPirates.com

It was a bad night to be an East Carolina and American Athletic Conference pitching school record Friday as sophomore LHP Ethan Norby struck out 19 in the Pirates’ 7-0 victory over No. 24 Coastal Carolina inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU (7-6) not only won its fourth-straight game but also received three additional strikeouts from reliver Ethan Young to match the program record of 22 set just last year in a marathon 13-inning win over host William & Mary. Norby (1-2) also surpassed the AAC single-game mark of 18 registered by Memphis’ Jonathan Bowlan back on April 28, 2018 and fell just one shy of Hal Baird’s school-record 20 in a win over George Washington on May 8, 1970.

Norby, who tossed a career-best 7.1 frames, and Young combined to post the most strikeouts in a single game by any team in the nation this season while Norby’s 19 Ks are the most by any pitcher in the country in 2025. Remarkably, he retired the first nine visiting bats all by strikeout. Luke Jones (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.

In terms of offense, Colby Wallace also enjoyed a breakout effort as he clubbed two home runs – including a grand slam – to account for six RBI. Walker Barron, Braden Burress and Alex Bouche also logged a pair of hits apiece while Dixon Williams drew a pair of walks. The Chanticleers (10-4) were limited to just four hits of which one went for extra bases.

The Pirates had a few chances to dent the scoreboard in the first couple of innings, but finally took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Bouche roped a one-out double down the left field line before Wallace connected on an 0-1 offering and sent it sailing past the scoreboard and into the Jungle to give East Carolina a 2-0 advantage.

It only took one inning for the Pirates to build their cushion to six. Barron and Burress singled consecutively with one out to spark the rally and Drew Downs worked a walk on a full count to load the bases. Wallace then saw a pitch he liked and drilled it 403 feet to left field to empty the bags and make it a 6-0 margin.

After Norby exited to a standing ovation from the 4,258 Pirate faithful in attendance, Young covered the final 1.2 innings and Bouche notched an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to complete the scoring.

Postgame Notes Graphic

  • East Carolina improved to 6-3 at home in 2025 and has won four of its last five inside the friendly confines.
  • Wallace’s grand slam is the first for the Pirates since Jacob Starling’s bases-loaded blast against South Florida in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on May 27, 2023.
  • ECU improved to 3-1 when tallying at least 10 hits in a game. The pitching staff also reached double figures in the strikeout column for the eighth time this campaign (three straight).
  • The Pirates were extremely efficient with two outs, going 6-for-15 (.400) with seven two-out RBI.
  • Barron extended his team-best hitting streak to nine games and has reached base safely 13-straight times to begin the year.

Up Next: East Carolina goes for the series victory Saturday when the teams reconvene at 2 p.m.

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