Wednesday, April 27, 2005

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Apr. 27, 2005) - ETSU scored 13 unanswered runs and hit five homers, defeating Radford, 13-3, Wednesday afternoon from Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn. In the game, Buccaneer freshman righty Robbie Campbell (Lothian, Md.) allowed three runs over five innings to earn his first collegiate win.

            With the victory, the Bucs move to 25-11 and win their sixth game in a row. Radford falls to 11-28 on the season.

            Radford jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first. Jesse Ross doubled to right-center to lead off the game, and crossed the plate as the next batter, Alan Ashworth, singled to right. Mark Fleisher then belted a two-run homer over the right field wall.

            Between the second and sixth innings, the ETSU offense erupted, scoring 13 runs to run away with the game.

            ETSU plated three runs in the top of the second. With two outs, sophomore designated hitter Mike Giroud (St. Petersburg, Fla.) singled to center and junior third baseman Greg Roberts (Douglas, Ga.) followed with a two-run homer to right-center. Junior left fielder Josiah Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) then singled to left and scored on a subsequent double by senior second baseman Nick Crowe (Johnson City, Tenn.).

            The Bucs then scored four runs in the bottom of the third. With one out in the inning, sophomore centerfielder Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) tripled off the centerfield wall just before junior first baseman Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) hit a towering two-run homer to center. Junior shortstop Chuck Hargis (Powell, Tenn.) then singled, and later moved to third on a single by Giroud before coming home on a groundout by Roberts. Giroud then crossed the plate on a passed ball.

            East Tennessee State added a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single to left by Church.

            The Buccaneers put four more runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Senior second baseman Justin Clear (Lafollette, Tenn.) belted a two-run homer over the left field wall, his second of the season. Senior catcher Caleb Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.) later hit his 12^th homer of the year, also a two-run blast to left.

            ETSU scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo homer to right by Hargis, his third of the season.

            After allowing the first three Radford batters to score, Campbell (1-0) settled down and allowed just two hits and no runs over the next four innings. He also struck out four batters and walked just one. Senior Michael Bauer (Kingsport, Tenn.), sophomore Caleb Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) and senior Trevor Smith (Newport, Tenn.) combined to pitch the final four innings of scoreless relief.

            Radford's Derek Creger was charged with the loss (0-3), allowing four earned runs on five hits in one inning of work.

            Hargis and Roberts led the Bucs at the plate, each going 3-for-5 in the win. Four Buccaneers scored two runs while Church and Roberts had three RBIs.   

            For the Highlanders, Ashworth, Nate Toth and Nachion Moore had two hits while Fleisher drove in two runs.

The Bucs return to action Saturday afternoon in a pivotal doubleheader against SoCon rival College of Charleston. First pitch of game one from Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn. is scheduled for 1 p.m. Radford returns home for the opener of a Big South series against Birmingham Southern Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. from Radford, Va.