Paladino ties career-high four hits, posts career-high six RBI’s

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 19, 2022) – Offense has been the focal point so far this weekend, and today was no different.

The Bucs used 12 runs on 15 hits to barrel past Northern Kentucky for game two of a three game set at Thomas Stadium on Saturday. The Bucs plated double-digit runs in back-to-back games since their opening season sweep over Iona in 2019.

Despite going 0-for-4 with a walk last night, that didn’t change Jared Paladino’s (Levittown, N.Y.) mindset going into today. The transfer from Monroe College found every part of the field tonight, going 4-for-5 with a two-run home run to left and an RBI double, posting a career-high six RBI’s. Paladino posted four hits his freshman season at Saint Peters in 2019 against future opponent Rider. Each of Paladino’s hits brought in a run.

The offensive supporting cast wasn’t too bad either as Ashton King (Knoxville, Tenn.), Bryce Hodge (Knoxville, Tenn.), Cam Norgren (Cary, N.C.), David Beam (Knoxville, Tenn.), and Noah Webb (Kodak, Tenn.) each recorded a multi-hit night. Norgren added a pair of doubles and a pair of walks to his second career game with the Blue and Gold.

Hodge and Beam joined Paladino, blasting baseballs over the left-field wall to give ETSU’s offense more energy. Hodge’s homerun hit three-quarters up the scoreboard while Beam nailed on well past the 370-mark in left-center. Beam’s homerun followed Paladino’s to give ETSU back-to-back home runs for the first time since King and Ethan Cady did so in the final game of the season last year against Samford.

Colby Stuart (Elon, N.C.), the SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year, was cruising past the third inning, allowing just one walk with no hits and five strikeouts. With two outs, the Norse strung together four hits and three runs to get on the board courtesy of a home run and two doubles. Stuart would finish his outing with three strikeouts in those final two innings of work. Stuart gets the win after going over the five-inning minimum.

The bullpen of ETSU kept NKU’s offense at-bat behind the arms of Andrew Ronne (Athens, Tenn.), Daulton Montagna (Pennsville, N.J.), and Owen Kovacs (Knoxville, Tenn.). Ronne, making his collegiate debut, was lights out after striking out two of the first three batters he faced. Ronne would face the minimum in two innings with a pair of strikeouts, one fly out, and three ground outs.

The bullpen’s stat line: 4.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 FO, 6 GO

The heart of the lineup (batters 3 through 6) combined for 10 of ETSU’s 15 hits this afternoon. Each of NKU’s pitchers surrendered an earned run.

The Bucs had more hits with runners in scoring position (8-for-23) than NKU had at-bats with runners in scoring position (2-for-6).

Pitchers of Record

• Win: Colby Stuart 1-0
• Loss: Ben Gerl 0-1
• Save: N/A

Game Leaders

ETSU

• Paladino | 4-for-5, 2B, HR, R, 6 RBI
• Hodge | 2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB, HBP, 3 R, 2 RBI
• Norgren | 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, R, RBI
• Stuart | 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 76 P

NKU

• Vorhees | 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
• Wakeham | 1-for-3, 2B, R

Quotables

“It feels great. My teammates got on base and put me in a position to capitalize and without them I wouldn’t be putting up any numbers and I’m just happy to win,” said Paladino after his six-RBI game. “We have a lot of confidence in our pitchers and anytime they get us ground balls, we’re expected to do our job. Nothing like winning baseball games, just got to keep the momentum continuous and good things are going to happen.”

Notables

• Paladino’s six-RBI game is the first such since Ethan Cady had a career day against North Carolina Central on March 12 last season. Paladino also had the first four-hit game since Jake Lyle did so against Radford on March 30 last season.
• Dating back to last season, ETSU has recorded double-digit hits in six of their last ten games and put up at least 15 hits in two of their last five.
• Despite not being the acting head coach for tonight’s game, Joe Pennucci garnered his 100^th career win as a head coach.
• Léo Jiminian (Saint-Lo, France) got his first collegiate hit of his career, swinging first-pitch and taking it right up the middle to score Webb. Jiminian’s RBI single would be the final run of the game.
• Over his last two starts against the Norse, Stuart has given up eight hits in 11.0 innings work, five earned runs, one walk, and 15 strikeouts.
• Going back to last season, Beam extended his reached-base streak to seven while Hodge and King each extended theirs to six. Hodge has hit safely his last six as well.

Record Update

• ETSU: 2-0
• NKU: 0-2

Up Next

The Bucs look to take the season-opening sweep against the Norse tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Thomas Stadium

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