GREENVILLE, N.C. – UNCW rode an 11-hit outburst to a 9-3 midweek victory over No. 8 East Carolina Tuesday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Seahawks (16-9) left 10 runners on base but hit three home runs as the Pirates (19-6) lost for just the second time at home this season.

Luke Craig (2-0) picked up the win in relief, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit with two strikeouts. Erik Ritchie (1-1) was saddled with the loss, yielding two runs (one earned) on two hits. Brett Banks tallied his third save of the season, finishing out the final 2.1 frames.

John Newton went 3-for-3 to pace the visiting UNCW side while Jacob Jenkins-Cowart notched a hit, run scored and RBI for ECU.

Hunter retired the first two batters he faced to open the contest but hit Tanner Thach with a 1-0 pitch before Newton doubled to the left field corner and plated Thach to put UNCW on top early. The Seahawks added an unearned run to their advantage in the second via a Taber Mongero RBI groundout, leading 2-0 after two complete.

East Carolina came up with a response in the bottom of the third. Carter Cunningham laid down a perfect bunt for a leadoff single and Alec Makarewicz ripped a single of his own to right field. UNCW then committed an error on a fielder’s choice attempt, allowing Cunningham to score and make it a 2-1 game. Ryan McCrystal then grounded out to second, but Makarewicz crossed home to knot the score. The Seahawks escaped further trouble by turning a double play.

UNCW took the lead for good in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-run home run by Thach. The Seahawks added three in the seventh and two in the ninth while Jenkins-Cowart hit a solo long ball in the eighth to briefly draw ECU within four.

Postgame Notes Graphic
  • East Carolina fell to 16-2 at home in 2023.
  • Justin Wilcoxen extended his current hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the bottom of the seventh.
  • UNCW got four of its leadoff hitters on base and notched four extra-base hits.
  • ECU produced just its third multi-error game of the campaign.

Up Next: East Carolina begins defense of its American Athletic Conference regular season title this weekend with a three-game series at Houston.