Big Inning Sends UNCW Past Top-Seed ECU, 9-7

GREENVILLE, NC (UNCW SPORTS) – UNCW rallied from a 5-0 deficit and overcame a weather delay of more than five hours, to knock off regional top-seed East Carolina, 9-7, on Sunday at the NCAA Greenville Regional at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Seahawks ran their record to 39-22 with the win while the Pirates saw their season end with a record of 44-18. UNCW improved to 13-7 on the road with the victory.

Noah Bridges paced the Seahawks with three hits as UNCW out-hit ECU, 11-8. Zack Canada and Cole Weiss both added two hits apiece. David Sheaffer drove in two runs as did Canada.

Reliever Henry Ryan (3-0) earned the win while Blake Morgan notched his first save with four innings of relief.

Drew Henrickson and Alec Burleson finished with two hits each for the Pirates. Burleson drove in runs with a squeeze bunt in the fifth and a RBI single in the seventh.

Ryan Ross (4-5) took the loss for ECU.

Up next: The Seahawks face South Carolina at 1 p.m. on Monday. UNCW needs to knockoff the Gamecocks twice to advance to the Super Regional round.

How it happened: The Seahawks sent 13 hitters to the plate in a nine-run fifth inning as they wiped out a 5-0 deficit for a 9-5 lead. As a pinch hitter Zack Canada doubled twice and drove in two runs. With the game knotted at five, David Sheaffer singled in the tying and go-ahead runs. Canada later knocked in two runs with a double to left.

Inside the box score: UNCW held ECU to one two-out hit … The Seahawks were 6-for-11 with RISP while ECU went 3-for-11 … Morgan held ECU to 1-for-13 hitting with the lone hit coming in the seventh inning … Both teams were able to get their leadoff hitter on base four times.

Notes: The nine-run inning was a season-high for the Seahawks and the most in an NCAA Regional game since 2008 against Elon on June 1, 2008, when they scored 11 runs in the ninth inning of a 15-11 win … The Seahawks advance to the championship round for a sixth time in nine regional appearances … Ryan Jeffers extended his consecutive game on base streak to 31 games with a first inning walk … UNCW is 6-3 in two-run games this season and 21-7 in games decided by two runs or less … The Seahawk bullpen won its 29th game of the season.