Wednesday, April 13, 2005

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Apr. 13, 2005) - A seven-run fourth inning rally, capped by a grand slam by ETSU senior catcher Caleb Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.), blew open a close game as the Bucs cruised to a 12-5 victory over Tennessee Tech Wednesday night from a rainy Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn.

            Tennessee Tech (6-26) took an early lead, scoring a run in the top of the first. Brandon Selvog led off the game with a triple off the left-center field wall and scored on a subsequent groundout by Hunter Mize.

            East Tennessee State (18-10) responded with a run in the bottom of the first. With two outs in the frame, Moore singled to right-center. The next batter, junior shortstop Chuck Hargis (Powell, Tenn.), scored Moore with an RBI double down the left field line.

            The Bucs took their first lead as they scored two runs in the bottom of the second. Again with two outs, junior left fielder Josiah Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked and junior first baseman Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) followed with a towering two-run homer over the left field wall.

            But the Golden Eagles came right back, tying the game with two runs in the top of the third. Adam Black led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt by Scott Dunham. With two outs, Mize hit an RBI single up the middle. Corey Kemp then hit a single to center and Nathan Marty reached on an error, scoring Mize.

            ETSU took control of a tie game with its seven-run fourth inning. Glafenhein led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Church then came to the plate and hit a single up the middle to bring Glafenhein home. Senior second baseman Nick Crowe (Johnson City, Tenn.) and junior right fielder Shane Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) hit back-to-back infield singles to set the stage for Moore's bases loaded blast over the left field wall. Freshman third baseman Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) later hit a sacrifice fly and Glafenhein hit an RBI double to close the inning.

            The Bucs added run in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI fielder's choice by Moore.

            Tennessee Tech scored their final two runs in the top of the sixth. Kemp singled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a double by Marty. Britt Clubb scored Kemp with a sacrifice fly while Marty crossed the plate on a groundout by Matt Mihoci.

            East Tennessee State plated their final run as Church scored Glafenhein with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.

            Buccaneer junior lefty Steven Calicutt (Spartanburg, S.C.) earned the win (3-5), going five innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits. Calicutt also walked three and struck out two.

            Kevin Cizmarik was charged with the loss (0-1) for the Golden Eagles, allowing 10 earned runs on 11 hits in 3.2 innings.

            Church led the Bucs at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Moore also had a big game, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBIs. Hargis was 3-for-5 with an RBI in the win.

            Kemp was 2-for-4 for Tennessee Tech while Mize had a team-high two RBIs.

            The Bucs return to action on Friday night as they host Wofford in the opener of a three-game Southern Conference series. First pitch from Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn. is set for 8 p.m.