UTSA Edges East Carolina In Series Finale

Sunday, March 24

San Antonio, Texas

2:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

16-6, 1-2

UTSA

12-12, 2-1

East Carolina

UTSA

March 24, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – No. 10 East Carolina dropped its first American Athletic Conference series of the campaign with a 6-5 loss to host UTSA Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.

The Roadrunners (12-12, 2-1 AAC) out-hit the Pirates (16-6, 1-2 AAC) 10-8 while both teams committed an error and combined to leave 11 runners on base. ECU also hit four home runs in the contest to account for all of its offense.

Daniel Garza (1-1) was credited with the win in relief, throwing 3.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Jake Hunter (1-2) took the loss after surrendering four runs (two earned) on five hits with a strikeout.

Broc Parmer led the home team with three hits while Jacob Jenkins-Cowart and Ryan McCrystal notched a pair of base knocks each.

UTSA put up early offense for the third-straight game, plating two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first. Justin Wilcoxen would put East Carolina on the board in the top of the second with a two-out solo home run to slice the deficit to 2-1, but the Roadrunners produced another two spot in the bottom of the second to establish some breathing room.

The Pirates had a chance to answer in the top of the third as Carter Cunningham drew a walk and Jenkins-Cowart singled to right, but the runners would be stranded in scoring position after Ulises Quiroga came up with an inning-ending strikeout. With two outs in the top of the fourth, Joey Berini worked a full count and drew a walk. Then, with a 1-0 count, Dixon Williams drove a ball to left that bounced off the top of the wall and over for a two-run long ball that made it a 4-3 contest.

UTSA added to its advantage in the bottom of the fifth when Mason Lytle notched a leadoff single to right field, proceeded to steal both second and third base and scored on a sacrifice fly. However, Joey Berini came through with his first home run of the campaign in the top of the sixth, a solo shot that cut the Roadrunner lead to 5-4.

The home side continued to answer at the plate as Odom laced a leadoff double to center field and eventually scored on a groundout to propel ahead 6-4. The back-and-forth nature of the day continued in the top of the eighth when McCrystal drilled a 3-2 offering over the wall in left – East Carolina's fourth home run of the game.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Cunningham roped a double to the left center gap to keep the Pirates alive but a groundout ended the contest.

Though it dropped the series, East Carolina sits just one game back in the standings as no team in the league swept its opening set.
The Pirates moved to 6-5 in true road games this campaign.
ECU went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Cunningham has registered at least one hit in all but one game this season.
The Pirates fell to 3-4 all-time against UTSA.

Up Next: East Carolina welcomes UNCW to Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium Tuesday at 6 p.m.