JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 9, 2009) - The Dolphins rallied to score eight runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach for the ETSU baseball team as the Bucs fell 17-10 to Jacksonville Thursday night at Cardinal Park.

The Bucs are now 14-16 overall and 6-10 in league play, while Jacksonville improves to 21-10 and 10-6 in conference.

JU starter Matt Loosen shut down a very potent ETSU offense limiting the Bucs to just one run through the first six innings.

Sophomore Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss going 6.0 innings allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with a walk and four strike outs.

Jacksonville got on the board first in the top of the third as second baseman Chuck Opachich doubled in a run to take a 1-0 lead and keep his hit streak alive at now 22 games. The Dolphins added two more runs in the inning on a Brad Simmons RBI double and a grounder to short by first baseman Alex Martinez to make the score 3-0.

The Bucs answered in the bottom of the fourth as first baseman Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) sent a ball over the fence in right for his sixth home run of the season to cut the JU lead to 3-1. The home run extended Hoilman's hit streak to 15 games.

The Dolphins scored two runs in the top of the fifth on a couple sacrifice flies to right by right fielder Thomas Myers and Martinez to increase their lead to 5-1.

 JU scored a run in the top of the sixth on a Bo Reeder (Cookeville, Tenn.) error to make the score 6-1 Dolphins.

Jacksonville blew things wide open in the top of the seventh scoring eight runs on three hits including a grand slam by Simmons to put the Dolphins in front 14-1.

ETSU put up a five spot in the bottom of the seventh on three hits highlighted by a Reeder two-run double, a Hoilman RBI single to cut the Jacksonville lead to 14-6.

In the top of the eighth, the Dolphins scored three more runs on a two-run single by Jonathan Murphy and a bases loaded walk by Simmons to make it 17-6.

Reeder went deep for the ninth time of the season in the bottom of the eighth as he sent a three-run home run over the fence in left to cut it to 17-9.

The Bucs added another run in the bottom of the ninth on a Matthew Scruggs (Knoxville, Tenn.) single scoring Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) to make the final 17-10.

Cory Betterson (Atlanta, Ga.), Reeder and Hoilman each had two hits in the game, and senior Jacob Fabry (Chattanooga, Tenn.) picked up a team leading 14^th stolen base.

ETSU is back in action tomorrow at 7 p.m. as the Bucs face Jacksonville in game two of a three-game series. Friday night is "Soul to Sole" night at the ball park as all fans that bring a pair of shoes will receive free admission to the game.  Any kind of shoe is acceptable, and all shoes will help make a difference to children in Guatemala.  All ETSU Students who bring a pair of shoes will be entered to have a chance to win a $50 gift card to Kroger. Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for more information on ETSU baseball and all other Buccaneer athletic news.

Jacksonville 17, ETSU 10 (April 9, 2009 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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JU.................. 003  021  830   - 17   13     3   (21-10, 10-6 A-Sun)

ETSU............ 000  100  531   - 10   10     2   (14-16, 6-10 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Chas Byrne; Drew Story (7); Paul Hoilman (8); Taylor Gouffon (9)

JU - Matt Loosen; Glenn Witkowski (7)

Win - Matt Loosen (2-0) Loss - Chas Byrne (3-2)

Home Runs - ETSU - Paul Hoilman (6); Bo Reeder (9)

JU - Brad Simmons (2)