GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina scored seven runs in the sixth inning Wednesday, six with two outs on the board, to record an 8-1 nonconference victory inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. The Spartans drop to 5-9 overall while the Pirates improve to 10-6.

ECU held a 12-7 advantage in hits while the Pirates made the only error of the contest. East Carolina also scored six of its runs with two outs on the board.

Senior LHP Blair Betts suffered his first loss of the campaign, throwing one and two-thirds innings and allowing five runs on three hits with five walks and no strikeouts. Kirk Morgan picked up the win for the Pirates as he tossed two and one-thirds innings giving up just one hit and striking out four batters against no walks.

Senior outfielder Zac MacAneney went 1-for-3 in the game to extend his hitting streak to seven while junior infielder Collin Woody was held hitless to snap a six-game streak.

Leading the way offensively for UNCG was senior outfielder Nick Chapman as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore catcher Jake Kusz and senior outfielder Tyler Long also chipped in with two hits apiece.

UNCG recorded two hits in the top of the first but, with two outs and Long standing on first, he tried to move to third on a single by Kusz and was thrown out to terminate the threat. Dulaney hit two batters in the bottom of the first and loaded the bases with two outs. He was able to escape damage though by inducing a groundout.

The Spartans executed some nice small ball to take the lead in the top of the third after Long put down a textbook squeeze bunt to score Chapman from third. The lead was short lived as ECU received a sac fly from Luke Lowery to knot the score.

Consecutive singles to lead off the bottom of the fourth had East Carolina in business, but Stafford worked around the jam. He induced a foul out, flyout and groundout to strand both runners where they sat. The Pirates had another prime opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. However, with one out and the bases loaded, Travis Watkins flied out to center and MacAneney nailed Charlie Yorgen trying to score from third to keep the contest deadlocked at a run apiece.

ECU broke through in the bottom of the seventh, scoring seven runs on four hits.  A RBI single by Hunter Allen gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead before a Betts wild pitch made it a 3-1 contest. The Pirates scored five more two-out runs, thanks in large part to a grand slam by Travis Watkins, to forge an 8-1 advantage headed to the seventh frame.

Following a 44-minute weather delay, freshman Austin Embler pinch hit for fellow rookie and infielder Tripp Shelton and drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. MacAneney also walked to load the bases for Long but he popped out on the infield to send the game to the stretch.

Neither team produced much in the way of offense the rest of the evening as East Carolina cruised through the final innings.

The Blue and Gold continues its Spring Break road trip Friday with a 4 p.m. game at UNCW.

Follow the UNCG baseball team all season by logging on to www.uncgspartans.com and monitoring the Spartans' official Twitter accounts @UNCGBaseball/@uncgsports.