Jake Kuchmaner scattered four hits and struck out five in a complete-game victory to lead No. 4-seeded ECU past top-seeded Houston, snapping a nine-game series losing streak to the Cougars.
 
Kuchmaner allowed a leadoff home run to Tyler Bielamowicz, but kept the Cougars (37-23) off the scoreboard the rest of the way.


 
Every batter in the Pirates’ lineup reached base safely, as seven hitters had at least one run scored and one RBI. Connor Litton went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs, while Spencer Brickhouse went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
 
The Pirates (42-16) set a single-game tournament record with six doubles.
 
ECU was quick to respond after the Bielamowicz home run, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the opening inning. The Pirates used two hits and a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first as Brickhouse hit an infield single to drive in the tying run before Dwanya Williams-Sutton scored on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run.
 
ECU then pushed the final 10 runs across, beginning with a five-run third inning. Litton smacked a two-run double to get into the Cougars’ bullpen, and the Pirates opened up a 7-1 lead on Worrell’s RBI single down the rightfield line.
 
Kuchmaner went the distance for ECU, getting the complete-game victory as the game ended in the seventh inning due to the 10-run rule. He improved to 4-0 with the win and allowed the Pirates to rest their bullpen heading into Saturday’s final.
 
Bielamowicz, who went 1-for-3 for Houston and accounted for the Cougars’ only run, made his second start on the mound and took the loss (0-2).
 
Houston’s Joe Davis went 0-for-2 Saturday as he finishes the American Athletic Conference Championship with a tournament-record 12 RBIs and three home runs in five games.