Tuesday, May 16, 2006

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 15, 2006) - All nine starters collected hits, and the ETSU lineup pounded out a season-high 24 hits, as the Bucs closed out their 2006 home schedule with a 16-8 trouncing of Western Carolina.

After Western Carolina (30-23) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Bucs tied the game with single runs in the first and second inning and then exploded for six runs in the third and four more in the fourth to put the Catamounts away.

With the game tied at two in the third, senior Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) reached with a one out single, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, came home on junior C.J. Lee's (Bristol, Va.) single to right center field.  A Matt Traylor (Knoxville, Tenn.) single moved to Lee to third, and junior Michael Courtney (Knoxville, Tenn.)  reached on an error, driving Lee home.  Freshman Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) and sophomore Bubba Herbold (Knoxville, Tenn.) followed with RBI singles of their own, and Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) capped the scoring with an RBI double to right field.

The Bucs loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth, and Courtney started another scoring onslaught with an RBI single through the right side.  Following a double play, Herbold delivered again with a two-RBI single, followed by Chuck Hargis' (Powell, Tenn.) RBI single, giving the Bucs a 10-run lead.

Herbold finished his career day 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBI, and Hargis finished 4-for-6 with three RBI, coming up just a home run short of the cycle.

The Bucs (29-22) used six different pitchers, combining on an 11-hitter, and striking out four Catamount batters.  Freshman Trey Sheffield (Alpharetta, Ga.) improved to 1-2, after three innings of work.  Mike Buda fell to 0-1, giving up six runs in just one inning of work.

The Bucs hit the road this weekend, closing out their regular season schedule with a three-game series against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla.  First pitch is scheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m.