ECU's Michael Kalinich hits walk-off homer to beat Penn

East Carolina rallies late to capture series victory over the Quakers

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:04am

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East Carolina University's baseball team rallied from a late deficit, tying the game in the 7th inning and then winning it on a walk-off home run by Michael Kalinich in the 10th to beat the University of Pennsylvania 8-7 and capture the series victory.

Why it matters

The win keeps ECU's momentum going after they had their streak of three straight run-rule victories snapped the previous day. The Pirates have been one of the top teams in the region this season and this comeback win shows their resilience.

The details

ECU trailed 5-3 in the 7th inning when Davin Whitaker hit a 2-run homer to tie the game at 5-5. Penn then took a 7-5 lead in the top of the 8th, but ECU rallied to tie it at 7-7 in the bottom half. The game went to extras, and ECU turned a key double play in the top of the 10th to set up Kalinich's walk-off blast in the bottom half to win it 8-7.

  • ECU trailed 5-3 in the 7th inning.
  • Davin Whitaker hit a 2-run homer to tie the game 5-5 in the 7th.
  • Penn took a 7-5 lead in the top of the 8th inning.
  • ECU tied the game 7-7 in the bottom of the 8th inning.
  • Kalinich hit the walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The players

Michael Kalinich

A pinch hitter for ECU who delivered the game-winning walk-off home run in the 10th inning.

Davin Whitaker

An ECU player who hit a 2-run homer in the 7th inning to tie the game at 5-5.

Gavin Degnan

A Penn player who hit a 2-run homer in the 8th inning to give the Quakers a 7-5 lead.

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What they’re saying

“This win shows the resilience of our team. We never gave up and found a way to come back and win it in the end.”

— Davin Whitaker, ECU Player

What’s next

ECU will host Elon on Tuesday at 5pm as they look to build on this series victory.

The takeaway

ECU's comeback win over Penn demonstrates the Pirates' ability to battle back from late deficits, a trait that could serve them well as they continue their strong start to the season.