GREENVILLE -There was no need for nail biting on Wednesday as Zach Wright belted two home runs to give the Pirates a little bit of breathing room in their 8-3 win over Buffalo.

East Carolina (13-4) has played 17 games this season with nine of them being decided by two runs or less, but on Wednesday the team produced its third-highest single-game run total of the season to power past the Bills (2-10 MAC).

The Pirates chipped away against Buffalo starter Michael Burke, who entered the game with an 0-1 record and a 31.50 ERA, as they scored three runs in the first five innings. However, ECU finished strong and was able to pull away from the Bills as the game went on.

“The game is nine innings, that’s a positive, but we came on with five runs in the seventh and eighth,” East Carolina coach Billy Godwin said. “We have to come out a little sharper and a little crisper but we won, and we didn’t win by one.”

Freshman Austin Chrismon made his first career start on Wednesday and got a no decision despite five strong innings of work. Chrismon, whose fastball breaks 90 MPH, allowed one earned run and only three hits, while striking out four and walking one batter.

Brad Mincey, who has been lights out this season, came on in the top of the seventh with the score tied 3-3 and pitched 1 2-3 innings to get the win.

Mincey extended his scoreless innings streak to 18 2-3 and upped his record to 3-0 and dropped his ERA to .44

“Pitchers get hot like hitters do,” Godwin said of Mincey. “And right now he’s on fire.”

The Pirates, who committed two errors, held leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, as the Bills were able to produce tying runs but never held a lead.

East Carolina took its final lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Buffalo reliever Daniel Ginader balked, which allowed Wright to score from third and Ben Fultz to advance to second with one out. After Ginader was able to get Michael Ussery to pop out to second base, the Bills brought in Josh Edwards to pitch to freshman pinch-hitter Jonathan Holt. In his first career at-bat, Holt knocked an RBI single to right field to extend the Pirates lead to 5-3.

East Carolina made sure there would be no game-tying rally from Buffalo its next time up as Wright, who hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead, blasted a three-run shot to right field off of Jonathan Fragulia to take a commanding 8-3 advantage.

“These (new) bats are a little tougher to hit with but if you put a good swing on, and do the little stuff right, I think it helps,” Wright said. “I was waiting for a fastball because he just walked (John) Wooten on four straight balls … So I just figured he was going to try to throw me something right down the middle and luckily enough it was. I just sat back on it and drove it the other way.”

Wright finished the game going 4-for-5 with five RBIs. Wright has now hit six home runs in 17 games. Last season he belted 14 in 44 games.

Also having a solid game was freshman Chase McDonald who was 2-for-5 with an RBI.

The Pirates’ power did not overshadow a sturdy first start by Chrismon, who ECU hopes will have a bright future in Greenville.

“I thought it was a solid start,” Godwin said. “We kicked two balls in the second and he showed composure and just kept pitching. He didn’t pitch like a freshman in his first college start.”

Chrismon, a Virginia native who was drafted out of high school in the 32nd round by the Houston Astros, said he was pleased with his performance.

“I was anxious, I was anxious all day to get out there but I think I had a solid outing,” Chrismon said. “I still have a lot to work on, but overall I think it was a solid day.”

Wright, the Pirates’ catcher, said he did not pick up on any freshman jitters by the 6-2, 245-pound rookie.

“Austin is a competitor. You haven’t heard a lot about him but out of high school he was one of the top-ranked pitchers in Virginia,” Wright said. “He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t let anything get to him. Before the game I was like ‘are you nervous? Is anything bothering you?’ and he was just like ‘no it’s just my first start.’ I thought that was a great way to look at it because I know I was nervous my first start.”

The Pirates will be back in action this weekend when they host Rutgers for a three-game series that starts Friday at 6 p.m.