Saturday, April 12, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 12, 2008) - The ETSU baseball team split the doubleheader Saturday against Gardner-Webb at Cardinal Park as they dropped the first game in a marathon, 18-16, and came back to win game two in ten innings, 8-7.

ETSU (9-26, 7-14) was out hit on the day 35-33, but was able to get clutch hits in game two to record the 300^th career victory for head coach Tony Skole. The Bucs committed a combined seven errors that led to 14 unearned runs on the day.

In the first game, Gardner-Webb jumped out to a 1-0 lead in top of the first on a Bubbie Spake single to left center. The Bucs answered in the bottom of the first as Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) doubled down the left field line driving in Nick Belcher (Abingdon, Va.) to tie the game. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded Bart Roark (Mountain City, Tenn.) doubled down the right field line clearing the bases to give the Bucs a 4-1 lead.

The Bulldogs scored again in the top of the second on a Jamall Kinard grounder to short to cut the ETSU lead to 4-2. The Bucs would score three more in the bottom of the third as Derek Trent (Kingsport, Tenn.) blasted a three-run shot over the left field fence to give the Bucs a 7-2 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Gardner-Webb cut the Bucs lead to 7-6 on RBI singles by Kinard, Matt Rizzuto, Spake, and Justin Loyd. The Bucs answered again in the bottom of the fourth as Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) blasted a two-run home run to left center to make the score 9-6.

The Bulldogs scored four more on a two-run double by Loyd, a RBI single by Kurt Fulginiti and a RBI bunt single by Tyler Johnson to take the lead 10-9.

Gardner-Webb scored eight runs on three hits and an ETSU error to increase its lead to 18-9 in the top of seventh. The Bucs answered in the bottom of the seventh as Jacob Fabry (Chattanooga, Tenn.) beat out an infield single driving in Trent to start a seven run inning. Later in the inning Russell doubled down the left field line to drive in Fabry and Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) Hoilman then doubled to center driving in two more, and Allen singled in Danny Petro (Atlanta, Ga.) to make the final 18-16.

In the second game, Allen jumped on a 3-2 pitch and drove it over the fence in right center to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs tied things up in the top of the third on a RBI single by Cooke.

Garner-Webb took the lead in the top of the fourth as Loyd came in to score on a wild pitch to make the score 2-1. The Bulldogs scored three more in the top of the fifth on RBI ground outs by Cooke and Rizzuto, and Cooke score on a passed ball to give Gardner-Webb a 5-1 lead.

The Bucs retook the lead in the bottom of the on a Russell two-run shot to left, and RBI singles by Allen, Chris Rankhorn (Gallatin, Tenn.) and Petro to take a 6-5 lead.

The Bulldogs answered in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Spake and Jeremiah Lokken to retake the lead 7-6. Allen tied things up again in the bottom of the ninth as he singled to left field driving in Hoilman.

In the bottom of the tenth, with Gardner-Webb drawn in and the center fielder in the infield Petro doubled to a wide open center field driving in Rankhorn from first to win the game 8-7.

Drew Story (Jefferson City, Tenn.) pitched well in relief for the Bucs as he went a combined four scoreless innings allowing only one hit while striking out three and walking one.

Allen led the team going 6-for-11 on the day with four RBI, a game tying double and a home run. Russell was 4-for-9 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and scored five runs, while Hoilman was 5-for-9 with a double, home run, four RBI and scored four runs.

The Bucs are back in action Tuesday as they will head to Athens, Ga. for a 5 p.m. game against Georgia.

Game 1: Gardner-Webb 18, ETSU 16 (April 12, 2008 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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GWU...........110  404  800   -  18  20  1  (17-16, 9-11 A-Sun)

ETSU..........403  200 700   -  6  17  2   (8-26, 6-14 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Dustin Plumlee; Matt McGahey (6); Ben Andrews (7); Drew Story (8)
GWU - Webster Beal; Wes Cogdill (4); Nick Brown (6); Kyle Paeplow (7); Adam Bullard (7)

Win - Wes Cogdill (1-1) Loss - Matt McGahey (1-2)

HR - ETSU - Paul Hoilman (4); Derek Trent (8)

GWU - Jamall Kinard (6); Daniel Cooke (2)

ETSU 8, Gardner-Webb 7 (10) (April 12, 2008 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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GWU...........001  130  200  0   -  7  16  0   (17-17, 9-12 A-Sun)

ETSU..........010  005  001  1   -  8  15  4   (9-26, 7-14 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Brandon Langston; Drew Story (8); Ben Andrews (10)
GWU -  Jonathon Ban; Devin Campbell (6); Kyle Paeplow (7); Adam Bullard (8)

Win - Ben Andrews (2-2) Loss - Adam Bullard (2-4)

HR - ETSU - Ben Allen (3); Anthony Russell (14)