Bailey blanks Panthers for Bucs’ first series win of the campaign  

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 17, 2023) – Dealing in the circle for her second shutout of the season, ETSU right-hander Brianna Bailey (Wewahitchka, Fla.) led the Blue and Gold to a 3-0 win in the rubber match against Eastern Illinois Friday afternoon at Betty Basler Field.

With the win, the Bucs improved to 7-18 overall and 4-4 at home. The Blue and Gold, who open Southern Conference play next weekend, captured their first series win since winning two of three over Furman last May. Meanwhile, Eastern Illinois dropped to 14-12.

NOTABLES

• Bailey struck out eight batters en route to registering her sixth complete game and second shutout of the season.
• Makala Strickland (Ooltewah, Tenn.) belted her second homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• With her second multi-RBI game of the year, Jasmine Sanchez (Buford, Ga.) finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a double.
• Cameron Young (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 2-for-3 with her sixth double of the season.

Dominating from start to finish, the Buccaneer defense held the Panthers scoreless, while leaving seven runners stranded in the first four innings of the contest.

Following three scoreless innings, ETSU scratched across the first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Kasidy Dunn (Friendsville, Tenn.) and Amber Atkins (South Pittsburg, Tenn.) each singled, while Dunn came home on Sanchez’s RBI single to left-center, making it a -1-0 game.

With Bailey dealing, the one run was enough offense for the Blue and Gold to secure the win. Holding the Panthers scoreless, Bailey struck out three batters in the fourth inning, pitched a clean frame in the fifth and worked out of trouble in the sixth when she struck out the final two Panther hitters with runners on second and third.

Adding needed insurance in the bottom of the sixth, Strickland hit her second homer of the season as she launched a ball into orbit off the second pitch of the at bat. Then, after a pair of Buccaneers were retired and Jessica Odom (Jefferson City, Tenn.) entered to pinch run, Sanchez recorded her second double of the year scoring Odom from second, giving ETSU the 3-0 advantage.

Eastern Illinois didn’t go away easy in the seventh as the Panthers loaded the bases with one out. However, as she did all day, Bailey silenced the Eastern Illinois bats by getting a fly out to left and game-ending grounder to short to earn her team-leading fourth win of the year.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

ETSU: Brianna Bailey (4-5) – win.

Eastern Illinois: Rachel Kaufman (3-3) – loss.

UP NEXT

ETSU will open conference play next Saturday, March 25 as the Bucs take on UNC Greensboro in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C.

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