Wednesday, February 28, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 28, 2007) - Senior Justin Aughey's (Davie, Fla.) seventh inning, two-out triple plated the tying and go-ahead runs, as the Bucs scored four times in the inning, rallying from a two run deficit to post a 5-3 non-conference victory over Furman Wednesday afternoon at Cardinal Park.

Trailing 3-1 and having mustered only five hits on the afternoon, the ETSU bats sprang to life in the seventh, pounding out four hits and pushing four runs across  in the frame.  Freshman Danny Petro (Atlanta, Ga.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame, eventually coming home on sophomore Troy Mendez's (Roswell, Ga.) groundout, cutting the Paladins lead to one.  With two outs and the bases empty, senior C.J. Lee collected his second hit of the day, a single through the left side, and senior Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) kept the inning alive with an infield single to bring Aughey to the plate.

After Furman (2-4) took a 1-0 second inning lead, the Bucs (7-3) got on the board in the bottom of the inning when freshman Tanner Moore (Chattanooga, Tenn.) scored on fellow freshman Justin Tramble's (Marietta, Ga.) bases loaded groundout.

Seniors Tony Lombardi (Windsor, Calif.) and Caleb Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) defended the lead with scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth; Glafenhein picking up his second save of the season with his perfect ninth.

Sophomore Darren Caldwell (Spartanburg, S.C.) pitched two innings of relief, striking out two and holding the Paladins to one run to improve to 2-0 on the season.  Freshman Todd Caldwell (Johnson City, Tenn.) pitched well in his first collegiate start, scattering six hits over five innings and striking out three.  Mason Smith (0-2) gave up all four seventh inning runs in relief of starter Jay Jackson, absorbing his second loss.

The Bucs return to action this weekend at the Coca-Cola Classic in Rock Hill, S.C., taking on Kent State, Temple and host Winthrop over the three-day tournament.