Tuesday, April 25, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 25, 2006) - The ETSU softball team completed its second-straight Atlantic Sun Conference sweep on Tuesday, downing Belmont in decisive fashion, 7-2, and 13-2, at Aquinas Field.  Junior Stephanie Gaynord (Manassas, Va.) starred at the plate, posting four hits, four runs batted in, four runs scored, and two homeruns on the doubleheader.

With the sweep, the Lady Bucs improve to 17-33 overall, 6-10 in conference play, while the Bruins fall to 14-29-1, 2-13 in the A-Sun.  ETSU set a school record for doubles in a single game in the nightcap, slapping five two-baggers.  The Lady Bucs also tied a school mark for RBIs in a single contest with 13.

ETSU trailed the Bruins, 2-1, in game one, before tacking on six runs in the late innings to earn the opening win.  Freshman Cat Zyskowski (Grand Rapids, Mich.) got things started in the fifth, reaching base with a single and advancing to second on an error in the Belmont outfield. 

Gaynord followed with a single of her own, before Briana Knight (Brier, Wash.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Zyskowski.  Knight also reached base on an error by the Belmont catcher.  Janine Sprague (Hillsborough, N.C.) then cracked her fifth double of the season, plating Gaynord to take the 3-2 lead.

The Lady Bucs continued to pull away in the sixth, scoring four runs on three hits.  Knight and Zyskowski both drove in a run apiece on the inning. 

Senior Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) got the win on the mound, upping her mark to 6-12.  The senior, who stepped in the circle in relief, threw a solid 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and no runs in 15 batters faced.

Belmont's Jennifer Batte (2-7) took the loss, after giving up seven hits and six earned runs in five complete innings.  Batte managed to keep the Lady Bucs on their toes, however, striking out seven ETSU batters.

Game two was all Lady Bucs, as ETSU scored five runs in the second inning and never looked back, cruising to the six-inning run-rule victory.  Mary Catherine Vercoe (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) got the inning rolling, punching a one-out single. 

Zyskowski, Stephanie Cope (Maryville, Tenn.), and Gaynord followed with three more base hits, before Knight cracked a three-run double.  Knight would score on a single by Amanda Haverman (Kirkwood, Mo.) for the final score of the frame.

Zyskowski and Knight both had stellar outings, with the rookie Zyskowski going 3-for-6 with four runs scored and an RBI.  Knight also went 3-for-6, adding five RBIs, and two runs scored for the series.         

The Lady Bucs mounted another big inning in the sixth, plating seven runs on seven hits, including a two-run homer from Gaynord, her second of the day, and seventh of the season.

Vercoe (7-12) posted the win after giving up four hits and two runs in five innings of work.  Haverman shut down the Bruins in relief, allowing no runs and no hits in one inning in the circle.  Bruin Chelsea Rae Goodwin fell to 5-10 in the loss.

ETSU returns home Saturday for their final home series of the season, as it host Gardner-Webb.  Game time is set for 4 p.m., with the second game to follow.  The Lady Bucs will also hold Senior Day prior to game one.