Stuart tosses 4.0 shutout innings, Wallace accounts for all three runs 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (March 17, 2023) – Early offense and strong pitching in the middle-to-late innings sums up the series opener of an in-state baseball rivalry between ETSU and Tennessee Tech on a wet Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles edged the Bucs by a 4-3 final in Cookeville.

The Bucs (8-8) took an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame, but the Golden Eagles (8-9) struck back with four runs by the end of the third inning to take the early advantage.

The last six innings became a pitcher’s duel between ETSU’s Landon Smiddy (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Colby Stuart (Elon, N.C.) against TTU’s Peyton Calitri and Reece McDuffie. Neither team budged, as the Golden Eagles held on for a tightly-contested win in the series opener.

Despite the loss, Stuart and Smiddy combined for eight strikeouts. Stuart kept his team in striking distance with 4.0 scoreless relief innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. In seven appearances this season, the senior now owns a 2.14 ERA through 21.0 innings.

The game started with a leadoff double by Tommy Barth (Brecksville, Ohio) into the soggy outfield. He and Cody Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y.) were then brought home on a two-RBI double by Garett Wallace (Sanford, Fla.) to give ETSU a 2-0 lead in the early going. Wallace then came home on a passed ball to make it 3-0.

TTU answered with a run in each of the first two innings but could not push across the go-ahead run in the second frame thanks to a diving grab in the left-center gap by Barth and a groundout to Ashton King (Knoxville, Tenn.) at shortstop to strand two on base. The lead eventually changed in the third inning with a pair of runs crossing on a two-RBI single by John Dyer.

Joining Wallace and Barth in the hit column for ETSU were sophomore Ethan Plyler (Lexington, S.C.) and junior Noah Gent (Corryton, Tenn.). Gent went 2-for-4 to lead the way, while Plyler added a leadoff single in the fifth. In that fifth inning, Gent singled right after Plyler and Barth was hit by a pitch, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Unfortunately for the Bucs, TTU tightroped out of the jam and allowed just two runners to reach in the ensuing frames.

Calitri earned the win for TTU with 5.0 innings, while McDuffie earned the 4.0 inning save.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

Win – Peyton Calitri (2-1)

Loss – Landon Smiddy (3-3)

Save – Reece McDuffie (1)

TEAM RECORDS

ETSU: 8-8

Tennessee Tech: 8-9

NEXT GAME

The Bucs and Golden Eagles return for the second game of the three-game set tomorrow at 3 p.m. 

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