ECU Grinds Out 11-8 Win Over Gardner-Webb

Tuesday, March 4

Fayetteville, N.C.

6:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

6-6

Gardner-Webb

6-8

Gardner-Webb

East Carolina

March 04, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – In a midweek contest that saw East Carolina and Gardner-Webb utilize 15 pitchers and combine for 23 hits, it was the Pirates who emerged victorious over the Runnin' Bulldogs 11-8 Tuesday evening inside Segra Stadium.

ECU (6-6) has won three straight and four of its last five while Gardner-Webb (6-8) has conversely lost four of its last five outings.

Jake Hunter (1-0) ended up covering the final five innings on the mound to earn his first win of the season, scattering five hits with seven strikeouts and allowing just two earned runs. Dominic Guzman (0-2) was tagged with the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on one hit in 0.2 frames.

Walker Barron continued his torrid streak at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Austin Irby collected two hits, scored two runs and drove in four thanks in part to registering his first career multi-home run effort. Tanner Thomas paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI.

Yea…dude rakes @2024Irby https://t.co/E4eDW8SzQS pic.twitter.com/SxHjf8757E
— ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) March 5, 2025

The teams traded runs in the opening inning as Irby clubbed his first of two dingers to knot the score at one. Gardner-Webb would briefly snatch the lead back at 2-1 via a Lawson Knight RBI single, but Irby provided the big blow in a five-run second inning for the Pirates, cranking a three-run shot to right field that helped leave East Carolina in front 6-2 after two complete.

The Runnin' Bulldogs began to chip away at their deficit, outscoring the Pirates 4-1 over the next three innings, then eventually grabbed the upper hand back with a two spot in the top of the sixth. However, the Gardner-Webb bullpen began to implode, and ECU took full advantage in the home half of the frame.

With two outs and no runners on base, Colby Wallace drew a walk before moving to second on a wild pitch. Barron then reached on an infield single that pushed Wallace to third. Another wild pitch plated Wallace to tie things up at eight before Drew Downs worked a four-pitch walk to keep the line moving. After a pitching change, Bouche drew another free pass and yet another wild pitch scored Barron from third to give the Pirates the lead for good. A throwing error at short sent the final two runs of the inning and contest across.

Hunter allowed just one base runner in the seventh and eighth frames, though the Runnin' Bulldogs mounted one last rally by loading the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth. The senior delivered in the clutch, however, leaving the tying run on base with a game-ending looking strikeout.

East Carolina improved to 5-0 all time against Gardner-Webb.
The Pirates wore their Powder Purple uniforms for the first time this season.
ECU's pitching staff struck out 11 batters, marking the seventh time the unit has reached double figures this year.
Irby is the first East Carolina player to hit home runs in consecutive at bats since Jacob Jenkins-Cowart did so against Rice in a 15-5 victory over Rice back on May 17, 2024.
Barron and Dixon Williams both extended their respective hitting streaks to eight games. Barron has reached base safely in all 12 of the Pirates' outings this season.

Up Next: East Carolina hosts No. 24 Coastal Carolina for a non-conference series March 7-9 from Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch for Friday's opener is slated for 4 p.m.