GREENVILLE  — East Carolina closer Seth Simmons has been lights-out all season but on Wednesday North Carolina was able to get to the Pirates’ all-time saves leader as the Tar Heels rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth with two outs to beat ECU 5-4.

The Pirates (27-14 Conference USA) took a 4-3 lead on the No. 14 Tar Heels (33-10, ACC) in the bottom of the sixth when Chase McDonald led off the inning with a double and would cross home plate on Greg Holt wild pitch

With the lead in hand, ECU brought Brad Mincey in from the bullpen who pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings before handing off the ball to Simmons, who came out to start the ninth.

Simmons struggled out of the gate as he allowed pinch-hitter Matt Roberts to double to right field. Simmons (5-2), who entered the game with miniscule .41 ERA, proceeded to load the bases as Brian Holberton laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that he turned into a hit before he was joined on base by Tommy Coyle who walked.

The crowd of 4,470 fans sat on the edge of their seats as it appeared Simmons was about to get out of the jam when he got Levi Michael to fly out to shallow center field for the first out of the inning and then was able to get the Colin Moran, the Heels No. 3 hitter, to pop out to second.

Cleanup hitter Jessie Wierzbicki refused to be the third out of the inning as he got just enough of a Simmons pitch to lift it to left field and allow two runs to score as UNC to topped ECU for the second time this season.

“It’s a tough one but you have to have a short memory,” Simmons said. “It was a great pitch. It was about six inches off the plate he stuck his bat out and put it in left field. He’s a good hitter, hats off to him.”

East Carolina coach Billy Godwin echoed Simmons’ thoughts.

“I thought Simmons did an awesome job right there in the ninth of battling,” Godwin said. “He threw a great pitch and the guy just blooped one into left field.”

Simmons would get the loss, while UNC’s Patrick Johnson (7-1) pitched 2-3 of an inning to get the win.

Sophomore Joseph Hughes started for the Pirates and threw 3 2-3 innings and allowed one earned run before being pulled for Kevin Brand who tossed two innings and handed the ball off to Mincey.

UNC started sophomore Chris Munnelly (4 1-3, 0 ER) and used three other pitchers before getting to Morin who recorded his third save of the year.

The Pirates took a 3-0 lead in the third when Zach Wright clubbed his 10th home run of the season off of Munnelly.

North Carolina tied the game up in the top of the fourth when the took advantage of an ECU error to rally for three runs.

The Pirates will be back in action this weekend when they face Conference USA leaders Southern Miss for a three-game series at home.