Saturday, March 20, 2010

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 20, 2010) - Junior Derek Trent (Kingsport, Tenn.) lifted the ETSU baseball team to a 4-3 win with a walk-off single in the tenth inning of game two as the Bucs swept USC Upstate in a doubleheader Saturday at Cardinal Park.

 

The Bucs (13-4, 3-0 A-Sun) won the first game of the doubleheader 11-6 as junior Bo Reeder (Cookeville, Tenn.) picked up his second win of the season going 5.0 innings with four strikeouts.

 

Junior Bo Burton (Kingsport, Tenn.) earned the win for ETSU in the second game as he threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts. Starter Ben Booker (Knoxville, Tenn.) had a good outing taking a one-hitter into the seventh before giving up three runs in a no decision. Booker struck out seven in the game, while allowing only one free pass.

 

Scott DeCecco was tabbed with the loss for the Spartans (7-14, 0-6 A-Sun) in the first game as he surrendered eight runs on eight hits in 3.0 innings, while Tyler Oliver was handed his first loss of the year in the second game.

 

First baseman Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) led ETSU offensively going 5-for-8 on the day with a double, home run and three RBI. Centerfielder Matthew Scruggs (Knoxville, Tenn.) also had a good day at the plate with a 3-for-6 performance driving in three with a double, home run, two walks and was hit by a pitch twice.

 

With the series sweep, the Buccaneers have won all four of its series this season and are currently on a three-game win streak. The sweep is the second of the season for ETSU.

 

In the first game, the Bucs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Reeder came around to score on a double by second baseman Kerry Doane (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) that was misplayed by the Spartan left fielder.

 

ETSU jumped all over DeCecco in the bottom of the third scoring seven runs on six hits to take an 8-0 lead. The Bucs were led in the inning by freshman Derek Niesman (Wellington, Fla.) and junior Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) as they each had a two-run double.

 

USC Upstate cut into the Buccaneer lead in the top of the fourth scoring two runs on a ball hit to short by Sam Bruner and a Austin Liput RBI double to make the score 8-2 ETSU.

 

Scruggs put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth as he drove a three run home run over the fence in left to increase the Buccaneer lead to 11-2.

 

The Spartans rallied in the eighth to score four runs on two hits including a two run single by Brody Greer, but the Bucs would hold on in the ninth to make final 11-6.

 

Hoilman got things going for the Bucs in the second game as he sent a two-run shot over the left field fence to put ETSU in front 2-0. The home run was Hoilman's the ninth of the season.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, Reeder made it 20 consecutive games with a hit as he singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, Reeder came in to score on a Niesman single to left center to put the Bucs on top 3-0.

 

Jeff Medley brought the Spartans within a run in the top of the seventh as he hit a two-out two-run double off of the berm in right to make the score 3-2 ETSU.

 

USC Upstate tied the game at 3-all in the top of the eighth as Blake Green came in to score on a single by catcher Jimmy Tanner.

 

Neither team could get any offense going in the ninth as the game went into extra innings.

 

After Burton faced the minimum in the top of the tenth, the Buccaneers offense came to life in the bottom half of the inning. With Byrne on first, Hoilman singled to center moving Byrne to third. In the next at bat, Trent sent the 1-1 pitch back up the middle bring in Byrne to win the game 4-3.

 

The Bucs are back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. as they host Radford in a non-conference game at Cardinal Park. Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for more information on ETSU baseball and all other Buccaneer athletic news.

 

 

Game 1: ETSU 11, USC Upstate 6 (March 20, 2010 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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USCU........... 000  200  040  -  6    12     1   (7-13, 0-5 A-Sun)

ETSU............ 017  030  00x    - 11   13     3   (12-4, 2-0 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Bo Reeder; Derek Bushey (6); Joseph Timp (7); Drew Story (8); Bo Burton (9)

USCU - Scott DeCecco; Andrew Wyant (4); Ryan Fern (5)

Win - Bo Reeder (2-0) Loss - Scott DeCecco (0-2)

HR - ETSU - Matthew Scruggs (2)

 

Game 2: ETSU 4, USC Upstate 3 (10 innings)(March 20, 2010 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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USCU........... 000  000  210  0  -      3      7       1    (7-14, 0-6 A-Sun)

ETSU............ 200  001  000  1  -      4    11      1    (13-4, 3-0 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Ben Booker; Bo Burton (8)

USCU - Matt Branham; Tyler Oliver (7)

Win - Bo Burton (1-1) Loss - Tyler Oliver (1-1)

HR - ETSU - Paul Hoilman (9)