GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Holton Ahlers threw for a touchdown and ran for two more as ECU rolled past Gardner-Webb 48-9 on Saturday.
The Pirates (1-1) scored on their first drive, a 7-yard Ahlers run, and on their next two as well. Jake Verity's 24-yard field goal and a short TD run by Darius Pinnix Jr. made for a quick 17-0 lead with 1:09 to go in the first quarter.
A Gardner-Webb touchdown early in the second quarter was answered by a 13-yard scoring run by Pinnix and another keeper by Ahlers to push the ECU lead to 31-7 at halftime.