East Carolina beats Tulane 5-3, claims second straight American series

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jake Agnos struck out 10 batters in a career-high 7.1 innings, while Eric Tyler and Wes Phillips each drove in a pair of runs helping East Carolina to a 5-3 American Athletic Conference series clinching win over Tulane Sunday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.

With the win the Pirates improve to 24-21 overall and 4-11 in league play, while the Green Wave falls to 22-23 and 9-6. The win also marks the second-straight series win for ECU.

Jake Agnos (2-2) got the win allowing just one run (earned) on four hits with five walks to go along with his 10 punch outs. The freshman lefty recorded at least on strikeout in six of his seven full frames and fanned multiple batters twice including the side in the second frame. Matt Bridges closed out the final 1.2 innings surrendering a pair of runs (both earned) on four hits with two strikeouts.

Sam Bjorngjeld (3-3) suffered the loss giving up three runs (all earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts in four innings of work. Tulane used four pitchers out of the bullpen getting outings from Chase Solesky (2.1 IP, 2 Rs), Christian Colletti (1.1 IP, 1 K), Brandon Issa (0.0 IP, 1 BB) and Ross Massey (0.1 IP).

Tyler led the Pirates with three hits, drove in two and scored a run while extending his on-base streak to 31 games. Phillips added a pair of hits with two RBI, while six other collecting hits on the day. Turner Brown drove in the other Pirate run, the first of the game, with a single in the fourth frame.

Grant Witherspoon had two hits for Tulane with an RBI, while Kody Hoese and Hunter Williams both registered RBI base knocks.

How It Happened:

Trailing 1-0 going to the bottom of the fourth, ECU plated three runs and hung out to win it second-straight league series 5-3. Tyler led off with a single to left which was followed by a Watkins double down the left field line. Brown continued the stanza with the Pirates third consecutive single to left plating Tyler. After Bryant Packard’s sac bunt moved both runners 90 feet, Phillips doubled down the left field line scoring both Watkins and Brown.

Tulane jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI double by Hoese. Jarret DeHart singled up the middle to get things going before coming around to score on Hoese’s sixth two-base hit of the season.

Tyler’s third hit of the day drove in a pair of runs in the seventh extending the Pirates lead to 5-1. Spencer Brickhouse drew a leadoff walk and was lifted for Brady Lloyd as a pinch runner. Harman followed with a single before both runners moved up a base on a double steal. With two outs, Tyler singled to left field clearing the bases for his eighth multi-RBI game of the season.

Tulane pulled within two, 5-3, in the top of the ninth on RBI base hits by Witherspoon and Hunter Williams to cap the scoring.

Up Next:

ECU will return to action on Friday, May 5 when it travels to USF for a three-game American series in Tampa, Fla. First pitch of the weekend is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (ET).