Box Score

Greenville, N.C. - East Carolina used two big innings with three runs in the home half of the second and a four-spot in the bottom of the fourth to erase Western Carolina's early one-run advantage, handing the Catamounts a season-opening 8-3 defeat Friday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Though the Catamounts managed to outhit the Pirates, 10-to-9, ECU capitalized on six walks and four WCU errors offensively. Four of WCU's hits went for extra bases including three doubles and a home run while the Pirates had eight singles with a game-tying solo home run in the second inning. Also, ECU pitching recorded a combined 15 strikeouts of WCU hitters without issuing a walk in the winning effort.

All told, it is the third-straight year that WCU has dropped its season-opener, last winning in a 17-6 home victory over Purdue to begin the 2015 campaign. WCU also remained winless against ECU in Greenville all-time (0-14), falling to 2-18 overall against the Pirates.

Three Catamounts posted multi-hit games on Friday as senior Caleb Robinson belted a solo home run and junior Andrew Bullock drove in WCU's first run of the season on a first-inning double as a part of 2-for-4 showings. Redshirt junior outfielder Matthew Koehler legged out a double in a 2-for-5, run-scoring performance while senior catcher Spencer Holcomb drilled a double in a 1-for-4 showing.

Sophomore Luke Robinson provided the final tally with a run-scoring single into shallow left field in the bottom of the eighth inning, while senior transfer Clay Hodges picked up a pinch-hit single in the ninth in his Catamount debut.

Western Carolina (0-1) grabbed its lone lead of the contest in the opening frame of the season as Koehler reached on an infield error before Bullock delivered a two-out double to right field to give the Catamounts a 1-0 advantage they would enjoy until the home half of the second. ECU's Spencer Brickhouse belted the only extra base hit for the Pirates on a leadoff solo home run over the fence in right to knot the score at one.

However, ECU was not done in the frame, loading the bases on a four-pitch walk, a WCU error, and a single to put runners at each bag. A run-scoring single by Brady Lloyd and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Turner Brown pushed ECU ahead, 3-1.

The Catamounts were able to trim the deficit back to one with a single marker in the visitor portion of the fourth inning on Robinson's one-out solo blast to left. But, it would prove to be as close as Western Carolina would get the remainder of the game as ECU score four runs on three hits, also taking advantage of two walks and a hit batter to stretch the margin to five, 7-2 through four complete.

The two teams went on to trade runs in the sixth and eighth to provide the final score, 8-3.

Junior LHP Tristan Baker (0-1) was saddled with the loss in the opening day start, surrendering seven runs -- six earned -- on six hits with just one going for extra bases on the game-tying solo home run in the second inning. He countered five walks with three strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen.

Baker's classmate Jake Moebius tossed 2.2 innings in relief, allowing an unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts against a walk while Corey Sikes tossed the final frame in the home half of a scoreless eighth with just one hit allowed.

East Carolina starter Trey Benton (1-0) tallied the victory, pitching into the sixth inning with five official frames of work, surrendering two earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. He was the first of four Pirate arms to throw highlighted by Alec Burleson posting five strikeouts in two innings of relief work.

Brickhouse led the way for the Pirates offensively with a 3-for-5, three RBI performance at the plate while Lloyd was the only other ECU player with multiple hits, posting a 2-for-3 showing with a walk. Connor Litton reached three times with a single and two walks, scoring a team-high two runs for ECU.

Game two of the three-game, season-opening series is scheduled for 2:00 pm. Fans can follow all of the action with a live video stream through Pirates All-Access, audio from the Pirate IMG Sports Network, and live stats available through ECUPirates.com. WCU redshirt junior LHP Taylor Purus is slated to make his Catamount debut on Saturday after sitting out last season due to injury.