GREENVILLE, N.C. — Luke Lowery's suicide squeeze in the bottom of the 10th inning propelled East Carolina to a walk-off 3-2 victory against UTSA in the final regular season game of the season for both teams on Saturday.
Drew Reynolds went 2-for-3 at the plate scoring the game-winning run and allowed two hits in four scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory on the hill for the Pirates (32-24, 16-14 C-USA).
The Roadrunners (32-24, 16-14 C-USA) got the scoring going in the top of the fifth inning when John Welborn knocked a solo home run out to left field with two outs. Welborn's third long ball of the spring started a run of four-straight UTSA hits with two outs. Horacio Correa III, RJ Perucki, and Mike Warren each followed with singles. Correa III scored on Warren's single into right field to give UTSA a 2-0 lead.
ECU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame on Dylan Brown's RBI single through the left side of the infield.
The Pirates tied things up when Lowery scored from third on fly ball to left by Garrett Brooks. Left fielder Logan Kinder's throw home to get Lowery was mishandled by John Bormann, which allowed Lowery to slide in safely.
In a series dominated by the respective pitching staffs, the final three innings proved to be more of the same as Wesley Cox and Reynolds each sat down the opposing batting order through the ninth inning.
After UTSA was unable to score Warren from second base in the top half of the 10th, East Carolina got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning by Reynolds and Zach Houchins. The two advanced into scoring position two batters later on a ground out to second base. Then, with two outs, Lowery laid down a squeeze bunt that trickled down the third-base line. With no play to first, Perucki let the ball roll out until it tapped off the third base bag for the walk-off win.
Correa III finished the day 3-for-5 and Perucki and Warren each tallied a pair of hits to lead the Roadrunners at the plate.
Cody Brannon allowed one earned run in 4.1 innings while striking out three in his first start of the season earning a no-decision.
UTSA will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for next week's Conference USA Tournament. The Roadrunners will open play at 4 p.m. on Wednesday against No. 30 UAB (35-19).