No. 11 ECU Walks Away With 2-1 Win Over Fullerton

Saturday, March 2

Greenville, N.C.

4:20 p.m.

East Carolina University

7-3

Cal State Fullerton

4-5

Cal State Fullerton

East Carolina

March 02, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – In a contest worthy of early June instead of early March, No. 11 East Carolina outlasted Cal State Fullerton 2-1 in 11 innings on a Nathan Chrismon walk-off sacrifice fly Saturday evening to wrap up day two of the 21st annual Keith LeClair Classic from Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Pirates (7-3) clinched their third series victory (though against three separate squads) of the season and tallied a walk-off victory for the second-straight weekend. The Titans (4-5) will attempt to salvage a win in their third and final game of the tournament when they face off with Purdue Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

Zach Root put together another stellar start on the bump, tossing seven innings and surrendering just one earned run while scattering three hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters against one walk. Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (1-1) was equally as impressive in relief, matching his career best in strikeouts with seven over four scoreless frames. Peyton Jones (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing the winning run and giving up a hit with two walks and a strikeout.

In his first career start, freshman Colby Wallace certainly delivered – notching three hits and driving in a run. Ryley Johnson also chipped in with two base knocks, including a double, while Carter Cunningham put his name in the ledger with a two bagger of his own. Root and Shenkman limited Fullerton to five hits of which four were singles.

.@NChrismon with the SAC fly to win it‼️

LETS GO!!! pic.twitter.com/BeChCVruCD
— ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) March 3, 2024

ECU put forth an early offensive threat as Cunningham doubled to the left center gap with one away and Starling followed with a sharp single through the left side. The Titans escaped unscathed though, turning a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.

Fullerton finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth with a solo home run off the bat of Marcos Rosales, but that would do it for the visitors regarding the scoreboard. The Pirates had a few chances in the final innings of the regulation nine frames, but the Titan pitching staff held firm.

East Carolina looked to be on the verge of ending the contest in the 10th inning, loading the bases thanks to a Johnson double, Cunningham intentional walk and Jacob Starling walk, but a fly ball to center resulted in the final out and left the bags juiced.

Dixon Williams began the bottom of the 11th by working a four-pitch walk which proved consequential in the end. Wallace would lace a single to left and some heads up baserunning resulted in Williams reaching third and Wallace safely sliding into second. Justin Wilcoxen drew an intentional walk to load up the bases with one away and Chrismon did the rest, sending a fly ball deep to left that was plenty far enough to see Williams trot home for the win.

• East Carolina improved to 4-3 all time against Cal State Fullerton.
• The Pirates remained unbeaten inside the friendly confines of Clark-LeClair Stadium at 6-0.
• Root and Shenkman combined to strike out 17 batters – the most in a single game this season and most since ECU fanned 18 at Old Dominion back on May 10, 2023 in a 13-inning triumph.
• Cunningham extended his hitting streak to 10 games and has registered a base knock in every outing this season.
• ECU is now 2-3 in one-run games this campaign.
• The Pirates tallied four hits with two outs in the contest.

Looking Ahead: East Carolina will attempt to sweep the weekend and claim its 13th LeClair Classic title Sunday when it faces off with Southeastern Louisiana at 1 p.m.