Staff report

GREENVILLE, N.C. — East Carolina junior Jake Hunter, who starred at East Rowan, is off to a great start this season for the Pirates.

Hunter (1-0) has an 0.87 ERA after two starts. He’s struck out 12 in 10 1/3 innings and has allowed only two hits.

Hunter started the third game of the East Carolina-UNC series over the weekend.

The final was 10-9, as both teams piled up runs late, but it was still a pitcher’s duel when Hunter exited. He shut out the Tar Heels for five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He was charged with one run.

Hunter, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, struck out Vance Honeycutt, the ACC Player of the Week, in the first and third innings. He walked Honeycutt with one out in the sixth, and that was the last batter he faced.