Pirates solidify sweep with win to share regular season conference title

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The East Carolina Pirates (33-21-1, 17-10 American) completed the series sweep of the Florida Atlantic Owls (28-27, 12-15 American) in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, earning a 13-2 run-rule victory while clinching a share of the American Conference Regular Season Title. ECU also locked in the No. 2 seed for the American Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday, May 20.

The Pirates wasted no time setting the tone offensively in the opening inning. Grady Lenahan led off with a single through the left side before eventually coming around to score on a scorching RBI double into left field by the red-hot Colby Wallace. Davin Whitaker kept the inning rolling moments later, lining an RBI single into left to give ECU an early 2-0 advantage heading into the bottom half.

East Carolina broke the game wide open in the third inning, forcing three Florida Atlantic pitching changes during a five-run frame. Wallace collected his second hit of the afternoon with a leadoff single before Whitaker dropped a perfectly placed bunt down the first-base line that forced a throwing error, allowing Wallace to score while Whitaker advanced all the way to third.

Pinch hitter Michael Kalinich continued his weekend at the plate, hammering a first-pitch RBI double into right field to plate Whitaker. Austin Irby followed with an RBI single through the right side to bring Kalinich home and extend the lead.

After Nick Parham reached via a hit-by-pitch with two outs, Lenahan delivered again at the top of the order, ripping his second ground-rule double of the series into left field to drive in another run. With the bases loaded, Braden Burress drew an RBI walk to cap the explosive inning as ECU surged ahead 8-0.

Starter Luke Payne was in complete control throughout the afternoon, pairing with a sharp Pirate defense to keep the Owls scoreless through four innings. Florida Atlantic managed no more than four batters in an inning during that stretch as Payne efficiently attacked the strike zone.

The Pirates continued to flex their offensive firepower in the fourth. Whitaker reached base for the third time in the game before Kalinich launched a two-run homer to right field,  his second long ball of the series, pushing the ECU lead into double digits at 10-0.

Florida Atlantic finally broke through in the fifth inning with a run manufactured off a leadoff single and a groundout, trimming the deficit to 10-1. However, ECU immediately answered in the sixth when Whitaker crushed a towering solo homer deep into right field to restore the 10-run cushion at 11-1.

The Owls added another run in the bottom of the sixth following a Pirate defensive miscue, but ECU quickly erased any hopes of extending the contest in the seventh.

Lenahan continued his outstanding afternoon with his fourth hit of the game before swiping second base to move into scoring position. Burress followed with a triple into right-center field to bring home the run and put the Pirates back in run-rule territory. Wallace added one final insurance run with an RBI groundout, giving ECU a commanding 13-2 lead.

The Pirates slammed the door in the bottom half to complete the run-rule victory, securing not only the road sweep of Florida Atlantic, but also a share of the American Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship alongside UTSA Roadrunners.

ECU received standout performances throughout the lineup. Whitaker finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run, four runs scored and two RBI. Kalinich continued his monster weekend, going 2-for-2 with a homer, double, three RBI and two walks while reaching base in all five plate appearances. Lenahan also recorded four hits, while Wallace added two hits and multiple RBI of his own.

On the mound, Payne earned the victory with another career-best outing, matching his longest appearance at 5.0 innings while striking out six. The right-hander surrendered just three hits and one earned run while consistently keeping the Owls off balance.

Brett Antolick and Thomas Paxton closed out the final two innings in relief, each recording a strikeout while limiting Florida Atlantic to just one run combined. The sweep marked ECU’s first road conference series sweep since taking all three games at Rice in March 2025.

Kalinich emerged as one of the biggest offensive stars of the weekend, going 5-for-6 after moving from a pinch-hitting role into the designated hitter spot. Four of his five hits went for extra bases, including three doubles and a home run, while totaling seven RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Wallace also delivered a huge series, batting .571 across the three games with six runs scored and four RBI.

With the regular season now complete, East Carolina enters the American Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed with a 17-10 conference record. The Pirates will receive a bye into Friday’s action and are scheduled to play at 9 a.m. EST.