JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 12, 2007) - ETSU allowed four unearned runs in the third inning, and the clutch hit continued to elude the Buc bats as Jacksonville clinched the weekend series and sent the Bucs to their sixth consecutive defeat and 13th in the last 15 games, 8-4 Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Park.
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Jacksonville (27-24, 12-11 A-Sun) capitalized on two ETSU errors and benefited from spectacularly well-placed hits, reaching on three infield singles in the frame and eventually plating four runs on just four hits. Just two balls left the infield in the frame; designated hitter Chuck Opachich's sacrifice fly to left field and Pete Clifford's single to left.
Junior Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) singled home Fabry in the third, and freshman Danny Petro (Atlanta, Ga.) doubled to center field bringing in Russell and cutting the lead to 4-3.
The Dolphins scored two more runs in the fifth on a pair of RBI doubles from third baseman Thomas LePage and first baseman Ryan McArdle.
Clifford pushed the JU advantage to 7-3 in the sixth on Clifford's conference leading 11th home run of the season.
The Bucs (26-25, 11-12 A-Sun) manufactured a run in the first inning when sophomore Jacob Fabry (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and after stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error, came home on a groundout.
Senior Caleb Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) allowed seven run on 14 hits in six innings of work, falling to 13-6. Junior Matt Davis went the distance for the Dolphins in just his second start of the season, striking out four and scattering eight hits to improve to 3-1.
Senior Ryan Howe (Greenville, S.C.) hit his first career home run in the ninth inning, solo shot to right field. Petro turned in the only multi-hit performance for the Bucs, finishing 2-for-4. The Dolphins, by contrast, had six players with multiple hits, led by Clifford's 3-for-6 day, and all nine starters collected at least one hit in the 18-hit attack.
The teams conclude the series, and the Bucs wrap up their 2007 home schedule, Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Cardinal Park.
