GREENVILLE, N.C. –Alec Burleson tossed a career-high 8.0 scoreless innings and drove in a run helping No. 16 East Carolina to a 3-0 win over Georgia Southern Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates improve to 4-1 while the Eagles drop to 3-2 on the young season.

Burleson (1-0) allowed just two runners to reach base (fourth and seventh innings) both on singles. The lefty, who fanned seven batters, also didn’t allow a runner to reach second base and got some great glove work behind him thanks to a 6-5-3 double play in the fourth. Matt Bridges came in and got his first save of the season working a scoreless ninth allowing a hit and walking one to preserve the shutout.

Jordan Jackson (1-1) took the loss giving up all three runs (all earned) on four hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts in five innings. Jake Martin (1.1 IP, 3 Hs) and Griffin Davis (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) worked the final four frames and limiting ECU’s offense to just three runs on the day.

ECU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead pushing a pair of runners across in the opening frame. Burleson’s RBI double down the left field line scored Lane Hoover, who reached on an infield single and stole second base before crossing home. Two batters later, Bryson Worrell doubled down the right field line plating Burleson.

The Pirates tacked on the final run of the game in the fourth on Seth Caddell’s sac fly to right field making it a 3-0 ball game. Worrell doubled to right-center starting the stanza and took third on Connor Norby’s sac bunt before crossing home on Caddell’s at-bat.

Worrell led the Pirates’ eight-hit attack going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Norby was 2-for-2 with a walk reaching base three times in the contest.

Steven Curry led the Eagles with a pair of hits, while Christian Avant also tallied a base knock.

The two clubs will return to action and conclude the weekend series on Sunday, Feb. 23 with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. (ET).