Thursday, March 01, 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 1, 2012) – Freshman outfielder Alex Everett (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) sent the ETSU softball team home with a walk-off win, as her two-out two-run scoring single up the middle capped off a five-run seventh, lifting the Bucs past the Dutch National Team, 6-5, inside Tennessee’s Lee Softball Stadium in Knoxville.

The Bucs – who take on Boston U. and No. 8 Tennessee this weekend – prepped for the UT Softball Classic by taking on the Dutch National Team in an exhibition game on Thursday evening.

Everett was one of three ETSU players to record two hits in the game as senior Annie Martin (Centerville, Tenn.) and sophomore Sade Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga.) also provided two-hit efforts.

Martin put the Blue and Gold up 1-0 early, when she belted a home run over the wall in center to lead off the bottom of the first.

However, that was the only offense the Bucs could generate until capping off the comeback win with the five-run seventh.

After sophomore right-hander Katie Wolff (LaGrange, Texas) held the Dutch National Team to one hit in two innings of work, they finally jumped ahead of ETSU, 5-1, by plating two runs in the fourth and adding three more on in the fifth.

Fortunately, the Bucs still had some fight left in them as ETSU sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and rallied for the victory. Martin started the scoring in the seventh when her bases loaded one-out RBI single to right scored pinch runner Nicole Fox (Peachtree City, Ga.), while Tara Hartnett (Snellville, Ga.) worked a walk on the next at-bat to bring home Jackie Baird (Ooltewah, Tenn.) – making it a 5-3 contest. From there, Casey Horner (Whitesburg, Tenn.) pulled the Bucs within a run when her RBI ground out to short scored Johnson, giving Everett the chance to pull off the heroics. With two outs and the bases loaded, Everett ended the game as she laced a 1-1 pitch right up the middle to plate both Martin and Hartnett, capping off the 6-5 thriller.

Freshman righty Whitney Leon (Dandridge, Tenn.) tossed the final three innings to earn the win.

ETSU returns to action Friday morning when the Bucs face Boston U. at 10 a.m. from the Lee Softball Stadium.

For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.