ETSU tops Red Foxes in extra innings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 1, 2019) – The ETSU Bucs Softball squad kicked off the month of March and the Tiger Classic in a positive way, claiming the 12-10 victory over the Marist Red Foxes on Friday evening in Nashville, Tenn. It took eight innings for the Bucs to get the job done, but ETSU was able to claim its first extra-inning contest of the season. With the win, the Bucs improved to 9-4-2 on the campaign.

Marist struck first in the home half of the opening inning with an RBI double to right field for the 1-0 lead. However, a five-run explosion in the top of the second inning propelled the Bucs to the 5-1 advantage. Jordan Durbin (Mechanicsville, Va.) jump started the offense with an RBI double to left center. The very next at bat, Kelly Warren (Mechanicsville, Va.) gave ETSU its first lead with an RBI single. The Bucs plated three more runs, including two off a Marist blunder in the field.

The ETSU lead was short lived as the Red Foxes jumped back in front in the bottom of the third inning, plating five runs on three hits that included a grand slam to place Marist ahead, 6-5.

Once again, the Bucs were relentless and did not waver, scoring three runs in the top of the fourth to leap ahead for the 8-6 advantage. Nikki Grupp (Jacksonville, Fla.) kick started the three-run inning with a two-run shot to center field, her sixth of the season. The very next at bat, Kylie Toler (Bradenton, Fla.) laced a solo shot to left field to stretch the ETSU lead to two.

The Red Foxes scored two runs over the next three innings, forcing the contest into extra innings at eight runs apiece.

ETSU wasted no time as Malloree Schurr (Montgomery, Texas) tattooed a three-run triple, her fourth of the season. Schurr’s triple put the Bucs ahead 11-8 with nobody out in the top of the eighth. Toler plated Schurr two batters late with an RBI sacrifice bunt, stretching the ETSU lead to four.

MacKenzie Dyson (Hanahan, S.C.) allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, one earned, holding Marist at arm’s length as the Bucs held tight for the two-run victory.

Pitchers of Record
» Win: MacKenzie Dyson (3-1)
» Loss: Kallen Leeseberg (0-1) 

Stat of the Game
For the sixth time this season, the Bucs boasted a double-digit run performance, improving to 5-1 on the season when scoring 10-or-more runs. ETSU finished the game with 12 runs on eight hits. 
 
Notables
» All eight of ETSU’s base hits came from eight different players.
» Nikki Grupp’s home run extended her hitting streak to nine consecutive games.
» Schurr (3), Grupp (2) and Toler (2) each registered a multi-RBI game for the Bucs, accounting for seven of the team’s 10 runs batted in.
» Kelly Schmidt (Norcross, Ga.) started in the circle, throwing five innings and punching out eight batters while allowing seven runs. Dyson finished the game, pitching three innings and allowing three runs, two earned.
» The Bucs are now 2-0 all-time against Marist following the extra-inning victory in Nashville. 

Record Update
» ETSU: 9-4-2
» Marist: 3-1 

Up Next
The Bucs were scheduled to return to action tonight against North Alabama, but the game has been cancelled due to inclement weather. ETSU will return to action on Saturday, March 2 in a doubleheader against Portland State (1 p.m. EST) and Tennessee State (5 p.m. EST). 

Keeping up with the Bucs
For complete information on ETSU softball, follow the program via social media on Twitter (@ETSUSoftball), Instagram (@etsubucssoftball) and Facebook (@BucSoftball). For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the softball link.