Eric Tyler

One of the roughest stretches in recent East Carolina baseball history continued on Sunday in Houston.

The Cougars scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally past ECU and complete the sweep with a 9-6 victory, sending the Pirates to their seventh consecutive loss for the first time since 1998.

ECU is now 18-15 and more importantly 0-6 in American Athletic Conference action. The Pirates have been swept in four three-game series in the same season for the first time in program history. Warren Nolan also has the Pirates as 1-14 against Top 50 RPI opponents.

The Cougars improved to 23-8 and 4-2 in AAC play.

East Carolina got off to a good start in Sunday's game, fueled by Luke Bolka's three run home run in the top of the third to make it 3-0. After Houston scored two in the bottom of the second, ECU answered back with two in the top of the third on Travis Watkin's RBI double and Jake Washer's sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.

Houston rallied again, only for Eric Tyler to score on a passed ball in the top of the fifth to give ECU a brief 6-5 lead.

But Pirate pitching couldn't hold up. Jake Scheiner and Corey Julks each tallied two-run hits to make it 9-6 in the sixth. All four runs were charged to Matt Bridges, who took the loss.

Tyler Smith started for the Pirates and gave up three runs in two innings.