Nine of 12 runs scored in final four innings 

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Mar. 15, 2022) – The lead happened early, and it was never given up.

The Bucs found themselves in the win column for the first time on a midweek matchup, blowing past Radford 11-4 Tuesday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.

The Blue & Gold have found them scoring early and often, and this afternoon was no different. Following two, first-inning walks from Tommy Barth (Brecksville, Ohio) and Cam Norgren (Cary, N.C.), the situation was made perfect for Noah Webb (Kodak, Tenn.) to bring in the game’s first run, and did just that.

Webb flared a single down the right-field line to bring in Barth for the first run of the game, putting Norgren on third. Norgren would score on a wild pitch in the next at-bat to give ETSU the 2-0 lead.

While the offense was doing their work to score runs, Landon Smiddy (Knoxville, Tenn.) was doing his work to limit Radford’s offense. Smiddy retired Radford’s order to begin the afternoon, racking up a pair of strikeouts and three ground outs. Radford wouldn’t get a baserunner until the fourth inning with a two-out double. The Highlanders would bring that run in to make it 2-1 after four innings.

Matt Bollenbacher (Powder Springs, Ga.) was the first in relief after Smiddy went four innings and retired the side in order.

The bottom of the fifth started hot as Barth led the inning with a single, Bryce Hodge (Knoxville, Tenn.)reached on a full-count walk, and Norgren was hit on the first pitch he saw and there were immediately bases loaded and no outs. Jared Paladino (Levittown, N.Y.) came in clutch with a pinch-hit, bases-clearing double to give ETSU more cushion.

After both teams would grab a run, a four-run seventh put ETSU up big. Following a pair of errors, the Bucs would string up three consecutive hits from Justin Hanvey (Purcellville, Va.), Garett Wallace (Sanford, Fla.),and King to put the Bucs up 9-2. A Hodge SAC-fly put ETSU over the double-digit run mark. Radford would snag a two-run homer and Wallace would rack up another RBI to end the scoring.

Four Bucs had multi-hit nights (Hanvey, King, Webb, Wallace) while six different players recorded an RBI.

Pitchers of Record

• Win: Matt Bollenbacher 2-0
• Loss: Zach Davidson 0-1
• Save:

Game Leaders

ETSU

• Hanvey | 3-for-5, RBI, R
• Webb | 2-for-4, RBI, R
• Barth | 1-fo-2, 2 R, 3 BB
• Paladino | 1-for-1, 2B, 3 RBI
• Smiddy | 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K 41 P
• Bollenbacher | W, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 28 P

RAD

• Whitacre | 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R
• Bryant | 3-for-4, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Kadlecik | 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, K, 20 P

Notables

• After reaching base his first three at-bats, Barth’s on-base streak is now nine following a 1-for-2 day with three walks. Barth was issued a free pass in the first, third, and seventh.
• ETSU has seven games with 10+ runs, exactly half through the first 14 games of the season. In 2019, the Blue & Gold scoring more than 10 runs in three of their first 14 games.
• The Bucs have won six straight games, the longest streak since 2020. The Blue & Gold saw a six-game home winning streak during that stretch.
• The Bucs have seen five consecutive left-handed starters, while also doing so in six of their last seven games.
• After two-hit days from King and Webb, both are tied atop the team lead with 16 hits. Hodge and Barth both have 15, while Wallace, Jiminian, and Norgren each have 14.

Record Update

• ETSU: 11-3
• RAD: 4-11

Up Next

ETSU hosts Lafayette College tomorrow night at Thomas Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball page.