ECU softball drops series finale to UAB, 3-2

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Emma Jackson hit her second home run of the weekend at the plate and Annie Kate Dalton recorded two hits but East Carolina dropped its second straight game to UAB 3-2 in its regular season finale at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Morgan Johnson and Mary-Kathryn Scott each added a hit for the Pirates (37-18, 13-14 AAC), seeking their first winning record in conference play since 2014 and its fourth conference series win with a victory.

The game began in identical fashion to the previous two series contests with the Blazers drawing walks and putting early pressure on the Pirates’ defense. UAB would leave three runners on to end the top of the first but not before plating a run with a sac fly to take a 1-0 lead.

ECU would quickly tie the game after Taylor Woodring scored on an errant throw, but the Pirates would strand two runners to end the inning.

Jackson would give the Pirates the lead in the bottom of the third with a solo shot to center field, but UAB would prevent ECU from blowing the game open and the Purple and Gold stranded three runners.

The top of the fifth would prove to be the turning point of the game as UAB avoided a second out after a fly ball landed in between three Pirates and following a fly out, the Blazers would hit a double and eventually score after a Pirate error to tie the game at 2-2. UAB would reclaim the lead on an RBI single, but the Pirates would stop the bleeding with a strikeout.

ECU would have its best chance in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded but a ground out to third base kept the score at 3-2 going into the final inning and the Pirates were unable to get a runner in scoring position to extend the game in the seventh frame.

Jordan Hatch (10-6) gave up five hits and tossed three strikeouts in the loss.

Up Next
East Carolina will face sixth-seeded UAB as the No. 7 seed in the first round of the AAC Softball Championship in Wichita, Kan. on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN+.

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