Bucs plate three in the ninth, drop opener to 2022 NCAA Regional host

STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 24, 2023) – ETSU baseball went toe-to-toe with 2022 NCAA Regional qualifier Georgia Southern on Friday and took the Eagles to the brink, but a three-run rally in the ninth inning came to an untimely halt in an 8-7 loss in Statesboro, Ga.

For the second straight game, ETSU went on the road and faced an opponent that hosted a 2022 NCAA Regional. Despite a close contest, the Bucs drop to 2-3 overall, while Georgia Southern improves to 3-2 overall.

The Eagles plated four runs over four innings to take the early lead, but ETSU starter Nathanial Tate (Manchester, Tenn.) stopped the scoring there in his 4.0 innings of work. After that, the ETSU offense began to pick up and inched within a run at 5-4 by the seventh inning.

The Eagles added three insurance runs in the final two frames, setting up the thrilling ninth inning finish. After starting with back-to-back hits from graduate transfer Marshall Awtry (Wilmington, Del.) and senior pinch hitter Jared Paladino (Levittown, N.Y.) and a pitch that grazed the wrist of Justin Hanvey (Purcellville, Va.), the Bucs had the bases loaded, the tying run at the plate and nobody out.

All three of those runners — two of which were freshman Cody Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and senior Leo Jiminian (Saint-Lo, France) in pinch running situations — came around to score on a passed ball, a sac fly and an RBI single by Noah Gent (Corryton, Tenn.). The rally came to an unexpected end with two outs, as Gent slipped on the dirt trying to get back to first on a pickoff and Georgia Southern applied the untimely tag.

A couple of Bucs new to the team this season — Awtry and junior transfer Cameron Sisneros (Littleton, Colo.) — both hit their first home runs while wearing ETSU uniform. Awtry started ETSU’s scoring in the fifth with a solo shot, while Sisneros made it a 5-3 ball game in the sixth with a two-run smash into right.

Senior outfielder Garett Wallace (Sanford, Fla.) led the Bucs with three hits in his first three at-bats. Wallace finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Awtry added a homer and a double. Gent, Paladino, Sisneros, Tommy Barth (Brecksville, Ohio) and Ashton King (Knoxville, Tenn.) accounted for the other hits in a 10-hit day for ETSU.

The ETSU pitching staff had seven strikeouts with just one walk and five earned runs allowed. Tate and Owen Kovacs (Knoxville, Tenn.) each had three strikeouts apiece, while true freshman Derek McCarley (Seymour, Tenn.) had one late in the ninth.

TEAM RECORDS

ETSU: 2-3

Georgia Southern: 3-2 

PITCHERS OF RECORD

Win – Ty Fisher (1-0)

Loss – Nathanial Tate (0-1)

Save – Jay Thompson (2)

NEXT GAME

Game two of the series will begin tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. 

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