GREENVILLE, N.C. – A four-run third inning propelled the East Carolina Pirates to a 7-2 win over the Gaels on Friday afternoon to bring the Gaels to 12-2 on the season.
 
Each team threatened in the second inning, but Nathan Chong was picked off at second to end the top half of the inning and Seth Nager made a diving play in center field to end the bottom of the inning.
 
But the Pirates got the scoring started in the third with a solo home run to make it 1-0. That was followed by a double and a single down the right-field line for a 2-0 ECU lead. A stolen base with a throwing error advanced a runner to third, and Nager made another diving play on a line drive for the first out of the inning and to a sac fly and a 3-0 Pirates lead. Preston Howey checked in for starter Ryan Taurek and allowed one more sac fly that was aided by and errant throw from center for a 4-0 lead by ECU.
 
The Gaels answered in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out on a Christopher Campos double, a walk by Chong, and a Nick Mistone hit by pitch. Kyle Velazquez drove a ball into right field for a sac fly that plated Campos to make it a 4-1 game. The Gaels missed a bigger by inches as the ECU right fielder robbed Blake Mann of an RBI hit when he made a shoe string grab coming in on Mann's liner.
 
Howey walked a pair of batters in the bottom of the fourth with one out, followed by a single through the right side that made it 5-1 ECU. The Gaels got a run in the top of the sixth when Mistone singled in Almanza from second. But again, a great defensively play by the Pirates thwarted the potential of a bigger inning when Velazquez ripped a ball to third that turned into an inning-ending double play as the ECU third baseman played the tough hop on a back hand and stepped on third before firing to first.
 
ECU tacked on two more in the eighth with a solo home run off Chase Dabbs and an RBI groundout with Jack Snook in the game.
 
The Gaels played well overall outside of issuing some free passes and perhaps chasing a few sliders late in the game from an impressive ECU bullpen, but it was mostly a tip-your-cap kind of game to a Pirates team that finished last season ranked 13^th in the country and made some fantastic defensive plays.
 
Campos went 2 for 4 with a run scored and Mistone and Velazquez each went 1 for 3 with an RBI. Nager made several highlight-reel worthy plays in center, including two reaching up at the wall to take away potential home runs.
 
UP NEXT
Game two with the Pirates is set for 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Greenville on Saturday.