Greg Bunn tossed eight shutout innings and No. 4 East Carolina pounded out 16 hits as the Pirates won their first Conference USA regular season title Thursday night shutting out No. 12 Southern Miss, 9-0, at Pete Taylor Park in front of 2,864 fans. Ryan Norwood led ECU (46-8, 24-4 C-USA) going 3-for-5 with two RBI as ECU won a league record, 24th conference game.

Bunn had one of his best outings of the season holding the Golden Eagles to five hits and recording six strikeouts. Jamie Paige, Ryan Jones, Drew Costanzo, Mark Minicozzi and Billy Richardson each had two hits. Patrick Ezell (5-2) suffered the loss allowing three unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He had to leave the game in the third inning after being hit on a leg on a single. Matt Shepherd led USM going 2-for-4 as the Golden Eagles finished with six hits in the contest.

East Carolina turned four double plays in the contest.

The Pirates used three unearned runs in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead. After Trevor Lawhorn reached on an error with two outs. Darryl Lawhorn singled to left field moving his brother to third. Ryan Norwood hit a ball off Ezell's leg to score Trevor Lawhorn. Ezell left the game after the hit. Drew Costanzo then doubled in Darryl Lawhorn and Norwood for a three-run advantage.

Billy Richardson doubled in the top of the fourth and scored on Jamie Paige's double putting ECU ahead, 4-0. Trevor Lawhorn drove in Paige for a 5-0 lead.

ECU added two more runs in the top of the fifth when Norwood scored on Mark Minicozzi's single. After Minicozzi moved to second on a throw to the plate and to third on an error, John Poppert's sacrifice fly brought in Minicozzi making it, 7-0.

Norwood's second RBI single of the game scored Paige for an 8-0 Pirate lead in the sixth inning. ECU's final run came in the top of ninth when Minicozzi scored on a balk with the bases loaded.

East Carolina and Southern Miss will play the second game of the series Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Junior left-hander Brody Taylor will face right-hander Anthony DeWitt.