Pirates Fall on Walk-Off, Drop Series to Wichita State

Late Comeback Not Enough

East Carolina battled back from an early deficit on Sunday afternoon, but a costly error and a clutch hit from Wichita State ended the Pirates' hopes in heartbreaking fashion.

Tied 7-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth, a missed catch error by newly-inserted right fielder Alex Peltier opened the door for the Shockers.

Peltier, backpedaling in right field, misplayed a line drive to start the inning, allowing Jordan Rogers to reach second base. After a walk put two runners aboard, Jaden Gustafson delivered the walk-off blow with a single through the left side, lifting Wichita State to an 8-7 win and a series victory at Eck Stadium.

Missed Opportunity Against Struggling Shockers

Wichita State entered the weekend with the worst overall record in the American Athletic Conference at 13-30 but finished it with its second league series win of the season by taking two out of three from the Pirates.

The loss also officially eliminated East Carolina from contention for a sixth straight AAC regular season title.

UTSA now holds a seven-game lead over ECU in the conference standings with only six league games remaining. The Roadrunners will visit Greenville next weekend for a critical series at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU’s Bats Wake Up Late

The Pirates pieced together 10 hits on the afternoon, led by Braden Burress, who finished 2-for-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Alex Bouche added a home run as part of a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored, while Alex Irby and Walker Barron each chipped in two hits and an RBI.

Colby Wallace, Dixon Williams, and Jack Herring also drove in runs as part of ECU’s four-run rally in the seventh that tied the game at 7-7.

Pitching Staff Struggles Early

Sean Jenkins gave ECU a solid start, allowing just one earned run over 2.2 innings before turning it over to the bullpen.

Jackson DiLorenzo and Nick Moran combined to allow five runs in the third inning alone, putting ECU in an early 7-2 hole.

Brad Pruett gave the Pirates a chance to hang around with two innings of one-run ball, and Bradley Zayac (1-2) was solid across three innings, not allowing an earned run despite taking the loss.

Overall, ECU’s staff allowed 12 hits, eight runs (seven earned), and five walks across the eight-inning contest.

What’s Next

With the series loss, ECU falls to 27-21 overall and 11-10 in American Athletic Conference play.

The Pirates will look to regroup quickly and prepare to host first-place UTSA in a major three-game series at Clark-LeClair Stadium next weekend