GREENVILLE — Tulane (29-14, 7-7 C-USA) scored twice in the sixth and plated an insurance run in the eighth on its way to a 4-2 victory over No. 27 East Carolina (27-16-1, 9-7-1) Saturday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win, the Green Wave takes the weekend series and has won 11 of its last 14 games in Greenville.
David Napoli (6-2) earned the victory for the Green Wave, allowing just two runs (both earned) on six hits, while walking three and striking out three in seven innings of work.
Tyler Joyner (5-2) suffered the loss for the Pirates despite pitching effectively for East Carolina. The junior lefty yielded four runs (two earned) on six hits in 7 1/3 frames. He walked one and struck out three.
Sean Potkay blasted a home run to lead off the second inning, giving Tulane a 1-0 advantage.
ECU responded with two runs in its half of the second. John Wooten was hit by a pitch and Zach Wright delivered a single to left to begin the stanza. Jack Reinheimer advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Chase McDonald drove the first pitch he saw from Napoli into center field for a two-run single to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
The Green Wave loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Nick Schneeberger singled off the glove of second baseman Tim Younger to knot the score at two. Jeremy Schaffer then sent a liner into left that was snared by a diving John Wooten, who then fired to Younger at second for a double play, but Brandon Boudreaux tagged up from third and scored on the play, giving the visitors a 3-2 lead.
Tulane added another run in eighth pushing its lead to 4-2. Schneeberger delivered an RBI single up the middle off Pirate reliever Tanner Merritt, who relieved Joyner with one out in the inning. The run was charged to Joyner, who walked Brennan Middleton to open the eighth.
Merritt worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed just one base knock in his 21st appearance of the season
Alex Facundus worked a scoreless eighth for Tulane before handing the ball over to closer D.J. Ponder in the ninth.
The Pirates threatened to tie the game against Ponder as Younger drew a one-out walk and Drew Reynolds reached on an infield single to put the tying run on base. Ponder then got Corey Thompson to fly out to center and retired Wooten on a grounder to third to end the game, earning his eighth save of the season and second in as many days.
Reynolds was the only Pirate to record a multi-hit performance as he collected two singles.
The Pirates and Green Wave will close out the series Sunday, April 29 with first pitch scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (EST).