Milligan earns first victory in charge of the Blue and Gold 

RALEIGH, N.C. (Feb 23, 2023) – Coach Milligan’s first win in the Blue & Gold was a memorable one.

Highlighted by a three-run second inning and a shutout by Brianna Bailey (Wewahitchka, Fla.) in the circle, the ETSU softball team picked up its first win of the season by blanking NC State, 5-0, on Thursday night at the Wolfpack Classic inside Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.

Thursday’s win was the first time ETSU knocked off a Power-5 opponent since defeating then-No. 20 Tennessee, 4-3, back on March 1, 2020. In addition, this marked the Bucs’ first shutout since defeating Samford, 2-0, on May 1, 2021.

RECORDS

ETSU (1-9)

NC State (3-8)

NOTABLES

• Bailey pitched the full seven innings en route to registering her first victory as a Buccaneer. Bailey allowed just three hits, while striking out four and walking two in the seven innings of work, becoming the first ETSU hurler to post a shutout since Taylor Boling (May 1, 2021 vs. Samford).
• Jasmine Sanchez (Buford, Ga.) registered the Bucs’ first 3-RBI game on Thursday as she finished 1-for-3 and drove in the first three runs of the contest in the top of the second inning.
• Riley Nayadley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) posted the only multi-hit effort of the game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• MaKayla Strickland (Ooltewah, Tenn.) recorded ETSU’s first triple of the season as her sixth-inning hit down the right field line plated Makenzie Henderson (Knoxville, Tenn.) to cap off the scoring.

After a scoreless first inning, Cameron Young (Knoxville, Tenn.) started the second with a single and later advanced to second on a passed ball. From there, the Bucs were able to get the bases loaded as Taylor Suchy (Sterling, Va.) reached via an error and Strickland was hit by a pitch. Then with the bags full of Bucs and two outs, Sanchez cleared the bases with a three-run scoring single, making it a 3-0 ETSU lead.

With Bailey keeping the NC State offense in check, the Bucs responded with solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings, extending their lead to, 5-0. In the fifth, Sanchez found herself on base after reaching on an error, and Nayadley stepped up to bat, recording an RBI single to put the Bucs up four. An inning later, with two outs and a runner on first, Strickland recorded the teams’ first triple, as she smashed a ball down the right field line to score Henderson.

To cap a dominate performance in the circle, Bailey retired 13 of the final 14 hitters she faced to complete the shutout and securing the Bucs’ first win of the year.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

NC State: Rylee Wyman (0-4) – loss. 

ETSU: Game 1: Brianna Bailey (1-3) – win. 

UP NEXT

ETSU will play a doubleheader on Friday, with game one against James Madison starting at 12:30 p.m. and game two against NC State starting at approximately 5:30 p.m.   

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