East Carolina finished with the best record in the American Athletic Conference and picked up the No. 1 seed for the college baseball tournament.
The Pirates started their quest for the NCAAs on Tuesday with a loss against South Florida, but it did not come without some strangeness.
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Jacob Starling started the game off right for the Pirates, clobbering a home run in the first at-bat of the game for East Carolina. Carter Cunningham then hit one of his own right behind him and just like that the Pirates tied the game 2-2 in the first inning.
However, if the Pirates were going to use pitcher Josh Grosz during the game, the plan was foiled due to a bizarre sequence after Starling’s home run. Grosz was ejected from the game after he handed Starling a sandwich when the batter came around the bases and back in the dugout.
COLLEGE BASEBALL UMPIRE APPEARS TO TELL COMPLAINING BATTER 'F--- YOU' AFTER STRIKEOUT
Pirate Radio on Twitter posted a photo of Grosz holding the sandwich in the dugout. Apparently, the umpire believed it was used as a celebration prop.
East Carolina would go on to lose the game 12-11 in extra innings. Pirate Radio noted that Grosz will be forced to miss Wednesday's game against Cincinnati as East Carolina tries to avoid elimination.
Grosz is the No. 3 AAC prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America. He was 4-2 this season with a 3.49 ERA in 14 appearances. He had a career-high 74 strikeouts.
