GREENVILLE —  East Carolina (25-12) pounded out a season-high 22 hits with six players recording multiple base knocks en route to a 17-13 win over instate foe UNC Wilmington (21-15) Tuesday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the win the Pirates sweep the season series from the Seahawks and outscore them 37-18.

Trailing 3-2, freshman Chase McDonald highlighted a four-run third inning with a two-RBI single that gave ECU a 4-3 lead. Corey Thompson, who was 4-for-5 on the night, singled to left center to start the frame and took second on the first of two walks by Zach Wright. John Wooten singled to left field to load the bases sending UNCW starter Travis Bradley (0-3) to the showers. Left-hander Steven Davis promptly struck out Trent Whitehead for the first out of the stanza before McDonald singled up the middle plating Thompson and Wright.

Tim Younger continued the inning with a two-out single to center scoring Wooten before McDonald crossed home on a wild pitch capping the scoring at 6-3.

Austin Chrismon (1-0) earned his first collegiate win after working 2.2 innings where he allowed one run on three hits with a pair of walks and one strikeout. ECU starter Shawn Armstrong, who was a predetermined pitch count, gave up two runs (both earned) on two hits with three walks and two punch outs.

Joseph Hughes (0.2 IP, 2 Hs, 2 Rs, 2 ERs, BB, K), Tanner Merritt (0.2 IP, 2 Hs, 6 Rs, 2 ERs, BB, K), Lance Honeycutt (2 BBs) and Brad Mincey (2.1 IP, 2 Hs, 2 Rs, 2 ERs, 4 Ks) all found work on the night.

Bradley surrendered five runs (four earned) on six hits in two innings. Davis went one inning in relief and was touched for three runs (all earned) on four hits. UNCW would use six more pitchers on the night with the final two (Tyler DeLoach and Tom Timoney) combining to hold ECU scoreless for the final 2.1 innings.

ECU would score five runs in the fourth to push its lead to 11-4 behind a two-run shot by Thompson to right field and a three-run homer by Philip Clark to the same spot in right.

Thomas Pope’s double to left center plated Andrew Cain in the fifth making the score 11-5. But the Pirates responded with four more runs in the fifth extending its lead to 15-5. Thompson singled up the middle with one out and took second on Wright’s second walk of the night. After Wooten flied out to left field for the second out Whitehead singled to right center scoring Thompson. McDonald hit a laser off Kelly Secrest’s leg that found its way to right field scoring Wright. Clark continued the frame with another single to third that sent Whitehead home. Younger finished the inning with a RBI single to right field plating McDonald.

ECU added two more in the sixth, 17-5, before UNCW unloaded with a six spot in the seventh closing the gap to 17-11. With runners on second and third, Alex Hill reached on a fielding error by Younger at short scoring Cain. Drew Farber was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Jake Koenig, who walked scoring Pope. Cameron Cockman reached on the second error of the frame, this time by third baseman Drew Reynolds, which scored both Hill and Farber. Hunter Ridge followed with a two-out single up the middle that pushed across Koenig and Cockman. UNCW loaded the bases on consecutive walks by Cain and Pope off of Honeycutt before Mincey ended the inning when he got Hill to ground out to second.

UNCW scored a pair of runs in the ninth to close the gap to four at 17-13.

Thompson led six players with multiple hits on the night with his 4-for-5 performance that also included a pair of RBI and a four runs. Jack Reinheimer continued his hot hitting going 3-for-5 with three runs and extended his current hitting streak to six games. Whitehead posted a season-best four hits with three RBI and two runs scored and extended his streak to 18 games reaching base safely, while McDonald recorded his second-straight multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Clark drove in a career-best four RBI on the night and smacked his second home run of the year finishing 3-for-4 at the dish. Rounding out the Pirates offense was Younger, who was 3-for-5 with RBI.

ECU will hit the road on Wednesday traveling to Houston, Texas for a three-game Conference USA series with the Cougars. Due to the upcoming Easter holiday the first game of the series will be on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. (EST).