East Carolina Edges Charlotte in American Baseball Championship

CLEARWATER, Fla. — No. 6 East Carolina defeated No. 2 Charlotte, 6-5, on Thursday evening, May 22, at the 2025 American Baseball Championship presented by Regions at BayCare Ballpark.

The win sets up a critical elimination game for the 49ers (36-21), who will face South Florida on Friday, May 23, at approximately 4:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. Meanwhile, the Pirates (31-25) will await the victor of that contest on Saturday, May 25, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+.

East Carolina took an early lead by scoring two runs in the top of the second inning, thanks to a pair of RBI groundouts. However, Charlotte responded in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run by Blake Martin, giving the 49ers a 3-2 advantage.

The game remained competitive, with both teams exchanging leads until East Carolina ultimately secured the victory in a thrilling matchup.