BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Clutch plays on both ends helped the ECU lacrosse team defeat Campbell 12-11 on Saturday afternoon.

ECU improves to 3-1 on the season and has the second three-game winning streak in program history. Campbell drops to 0-5 on the year.

ECU got a good start with the Pirates going up 3-1 thanks to goals from France Kimel, Megan Pallozzi and Ellie Bromley. The rest of the first half belonged to the Camels though. Over the final 13:07 of the opening 30 minutes, Campbell outscored ECU 5-1, including a pair of goals in the final minute of the half. Only six saves from ECU goalkeeper Ashley Vernon prevented the deficit from being worse than 6-4.

At the start of the second half, things looked bleak for the Pirates as Mackenzie Kolesar scored her third goal of the game to put Campbell up 7-4 with 25:10 to go.

ECU picked itself up off the mat and not only got back into the game, but took the lead. ECU did not allow Campbell to score for nearly 10 minutes. On the other end, Megan Tryniski scored the bookends of a 5-0 ECU run that also included tallies from Pallozzi, Bromley and Camryn Pennypacker. That run put ECU in front 9-7 with 17:39 to go.

The lead changes were not even close to being over though. Campbell rattled off a 3-0 run to regain a 10-9 lead. The Pirates tied the game with 9:06 to go on a goal from Ally Stanton, but Campbell answered when Megan Matthews scored a goal with a man-advantage for the Camels.

ECU needed a spark and it came from Pallozzi, who was coming off a five-goal game against Wofford. The junior tied the game with her third goal at the 6:14 mark and then gave ECU the lead with another free-position goal with 3:00 to go.

The Pirates needed to sweat out the last three minutes. Campbell got the ensuing draw control and earned a free-position shot. With a golden chance to tie the game, Campbell’s Julianna Sanchez was stuffed by Vernon, making her biggest save of the game.

Campbell stopped ECU and had one more crack at tying the game. But before the Camel’s could get a shot away. MacKell Schultes caused a turnover and scooped up the ground ball. ECU never gave the ball back to Campbell and held on for the win.

Pallozzi and Tryniski both finished with four points for the Pirates, Pallozzi on four goals and Tryniski on three goals and an assist. Nicole LeGar had five draw controls for ECU while Kimel had four. Bromley and Stanton both had four ground balls. Vernon finished with nine saves in the cage for ECU.

ECU will be back home on Wednesday night when the Pirates host Longwood. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m., start in Johnson Stadium.