GREENVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — Davin Whitaker drove in five runs with a triple and a home run, powering the East Carolina Pirates to a 12-2 victory over the Charlotte 49ers in American Athletic Conference baseball action Thursday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Pirates, who evened their season record at 18-12, erupted for six runs in the second inning and never looked back, overcoming an early deficit to hand the 49ers their 11th loss against 18 wins. The result defied a pregame projection from Interstat’s simulator, which had forecast a narrow 7-6 Charlotte victory, though the service’s ELO system gave East Carolina a 62.9% probability to win.

Charlotte struck first in the top of the second inning when Alec DeMartino launched a solo home run down the right field line off Pirates starter Luke Payne. The 49ers managed just five hits total, with DeMartino collecting two of them.

The game turned decisively in the bottom of the second. After Charlotte reliever Chayse Oxborrow was replaced by Taylor following a leadoff single and a hit-by-pitch, Whitaker cleared the bases with a three-run triple down the right field line, flipping a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The Pirates continued to pour it on, adding three more runs in the frame on an RBI single from Colby Wallace and a two-run single by Ryan Herring, chasing Taylor and building a 6-1 advantage.

East Carolina extended its lead in the third when catcher Walker Barron connected for a two-run homer to left center, scoring Justin Irby, who had walked and stolen second. That made the score 8-1.

Charlotte scratched across its final run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Kole Nolan, scoring AJ Jimenez to cut the lead to 8-2. The Pirates, however, put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth inning, highlighted by Whitaker’s two-run blast to deep right field, his second big hit of the night. Wallace added an RBI double and pinch-hitter Ryan Kalinich an RBI single to cap the scoring at 12-2.

The most critical sequence of the game was Whitaker’s at-bat in the second inning. With the bases loaded, two outs, and his team trailing 2-0, the left fielder delivered the triple that completely shifted momentum. The hit ignited the six-run rally and set the tone for the remainder of the contest, as East Carolina’s offense continued to apply pressure while its pitching staff stifled Charlotte’s lineup.

Payne earned the win for East Carolina, working four innings and allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six. The Pirates’ bullpen was dominant, with Gavin Marley, Joseph Webb, and others combining for five scoreless innings of relief. Webb was particularly sharp, striking out five of the six batters he faced over 1 2/3 innings.

For Charlotte, reliever Adam Baker provided a bright spot with two scoreless innings of work, but the early pitching struggles proved too much to overcome. The 49ers used six pitchers in the game.

The two teams continue their three-game conference series Friday and Saturday at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Charlotte’s upcoming schedule includes a midweek trip to North Carolina on April 7 before hosting Rice. East Carolina will host Duke on April 7 before hitting the road for a series at Tulane.