Before the season started, fans of the UNC Wilmington baseball team knew younger players would have to step up on a team featuring only three seniors. Now those rookies are starting to make an impact.

Freshmen on the mound and at the plate carried the Seahawks to a 4-2 rivalry win over East Carolina on Tuesday night.

Redshirt freshman Chris Gaffney notched a three-run homer in the second inning, while fellow redshirt freshman Whitman Barnes picked up the win for UNCW at pitcher.

“I thought it was an extremely well-pitched game on both sides,” UNCW head coach Mark Scalf said. “Fortunately, our one home run was a three-run homer, and theirs was a solo shot, and that was the difference in the ballgame.”

ECU became the eighth straight UNCW opponent to open the scoring and take an early lead over the Seahawks with a home run in the top of the first from Charlie Yorgen.

The lead didn’t last for long, however, as Gavin Stupienski and Zach Canada led off the bottom of the second with back-to-back singles before Terence Connelly moved them over with a sacrifice bunt.

Connelly’s sacrifice wasn’t needed, though, when Gaffney became the first rookie to make a significant impact on the ball game.

Gaffney was the next batter up and he lifted a fastball high into the air that just barely cleared the center field wall for a three-run homer.

“Honestly, I was just trying to put a good swing on it,” Gaffney said. “The guys saw a lot of pitches in front of me. I was able to connect on a ball.”

Freshman Justin Crump started on the mound for UNCW, and while he did not earn the win, he pitched well. Crump exited the game in the top of the fifth with the Seahawks clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Crump logged 4.1 innings and racked up three strikeouts in the first start of his career. Walks have killed UNCW starting pitchers, but Crump only walked one Pirate.

“As any freshman, I was kind of nervous, to be honest,” Crump said. “My fastball was working for me and I was able to get outs and miss some barrels. When I didn’t miss barrels, the guys backed me up.”

Crump even admitted he was nervous when he left the game and as he watched his team hold on for the victory.

Once Crump exited, the UNCW bullpen took over and continued its run of success behind more freshmen. Four relievers combined to log 4.2 scoreless innings and strike out five Pirates.

Coming off a CAA Rookie-of-the-Week honor, freshman Barnes picked up his fourth win out of the bullpen.

Barnes provided 1.2 innings of relief before he turned the ball over to fellow rookie Austin Magestro, who pitched a clean seventh inning.

At the end of the game, the freshmen made way for more experienced relievers. Senior Jordan Ramsey and junior Jared Gesell worked a flawless eighth and ninth inning to secure the victory.

The rivalry win ends a 13-game home stand and sends the Seahawks away from Brooks Field on a high-note. UNCW is 0-3 on the road this season, with all three losses coming to Florida State.

The Seahawks will travel to Towson this weekend for their first conference road series.

“It is a big confidence booster,” Gaffney said. “We know it’s a rivalry, just going away, we can go on a winning streak to Towson.”