ETSU looks to keep its three-game winning streak intact against the Spartans

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 22, 2016) – The ETSU softball team will return to conference action this weekend as it takes on UNCG in a three-game series at Betty Basler Field. The Bucs and Spartans will begin the three-game set with a doubleheader Saturday and will wrap up the series with a single game Sunday. Start times for both days are set for 1 p.m.

Bullets on the Bucs

• ETSU swept a non-conference doubleheader from Gardner-Webb on Wednesday by scores of 10-3 and 3-0. With the pair of wins over the Runnin’ Bulldogs, the Bucs now have more wins than they did all of last season (15).
• Malloree Schurr (Montgomery, Texas) was a major part of the Bucs’ 13-run outburst against Gardner-Webb as she went 3-for-5 with a grand slam. Schurr has been a spark offensively for ETSU since joining the team in mid-March as she is hitting .361 with eight RBI in 13 games.
• With her seven home runs this season, Taylor Carter (Brazil, Ind.) is just the second player in program history to hit seven or more long balls in more than one season joining former Buc Stephanie Gaynord. Carter currently sits tied for third place on the program’s all-time home run list with Lindsey Lane with 20 long balls.

Bucs by the numbers

7 – With 38 home runs this season, the Bucs need just seven more home runs to break the single-season team home run record. The record of 44 home runs was set in by the 2014 squad.

.357 – Sophomore Kelsey Smith (Tucson, Ariz.) has hit .357 with five home runs and 14 RBI in nine games against conference opponents. Smith’s marks in all three categories lead the Bucs.  

7.30 – Junior Lindsey Fadnek (Coalfield, Tenn.) has averaged 7.30 strikeouts per seven innings in her career as a Buc. The 7.30 strikeout rate is the highest ever for an ETSU pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched.

Scouting the Opponents

UNCG: The Spartans enter this weekend’s series sporting a 27-19 overall record and a 4-5 mark in the SoCon. UNCG boasts one of the top offenses in the conference with a team batting average of .307 to go along with a team ERA of 3.72.

Lindsey Thomas has led the team offensively with a .411 batting average. Thomas also is the Spartans’ top slugger with 11 home runs and 31 RBI. In the circle, the Spartans have two pitchers that have logged over 120 innings in Alicia Bazonski and Stephanie Bryden. Bazonski is 15-6 with a 2.69 ERA, whle Bryden is an even 10-10 with a 3.93 ERA.

Series Histories vs. Opponent

ETSU and UNCG have met a total of 21 times, including three games in the Bucs’ inaugural 2001 campaign. The Spartans have defeated the Bucs in 16 of the 21 matchups with ETSU’s last win in the series coming in 2006.

Following options for both doubleheaders

The three-game series against the Spartans will have live stats available and the links can be found on the Bucs’ schedule page. Fans can also follow @ETSUSoftball on Twitter for in-game updates.

FOLLOW THE BUCS

• Receive live game updates and behind-the-scenes access of ETSU Softball by following @ETSUSoftball on Twitter or ETSU Softball on Facebook
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