Thursday, March 20, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 20, 2008) - A ten run first inning set the tone for ETSU as they would cruise to a 21-4 win over Jacksonville at Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville on Thursday night. The Bucs out hit the Dolphins 16-14 in a game that ETSU completely dominated from start to finish.

ETSU (3-15, 3-7) got a good outing from senior Brandon Langston (Ringgold, Ga.) who went six innings giving up four runs on eleven hits striking out seven and walking none as he got his first win of the season.

In the first inning the Bucs jumped out to a huge lead. Senior Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) began the onslaught on a double to center driving in Nick Belcher (Abingdon, Va.). Then the Bucs would hit three home runs all with two outs as Troy Mendez (Roswell, Ga.) hit a three run blast to right field, Bart Roark (Mountain City, Tenn.) hit a monster shot down the right field line and Russell would hit a grand slam to left field that was a no doubter off of the bat as the score would jump to 10-0 in the top of the first.

ETSU would continue the scoring in the second inning as the Bucs would load the bases as Mendez and Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) would come in to score on a grounder to short by Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) to make the score 12-0.

Jacksonville would cut into the Buc lead in the bottom of the third as the Dolphins scored two runs on a grounder to first by Matt Dobbins and an RBI single Jeremy Gillian.

In the fourth, the Bucs would score two more on a grounder to short by Allen and an RBI double by Belcher. Then with two outs Mendez would single in two more as Allen and Belcher scored to give the Bucs a 16-2 lead. Hoilman continued the two out rally as his double to right center drove in Allen and Belcher.

Jacksonville's Chuck Opachich would single in a run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the ETSU lead to 18-3. The Bucs would score again in the fifth as Jacob Fabry was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Roark to make the score 19-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jacksonville cut the lead to 19-4 on a RBI double to right center by Opachich. Russell would answer in the top of the seventh as he would hit a two run shot to straight center to must have gone at least 430 feet  to give the Bucs a 21-4 lead.

Russell led the Bucs going 3-for-5 on the day with two home runs, a double, scored four runs and had seven RBI. Troy Mendez also had a good day with four RBI in the game.

Drew Story (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and Darrel Caldwell (Spartanburg, S.C.) combined to pitch three solid innings of relief as they gave up no runs on only three hits and Story struck out four.

The Bucs are back in action tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Jacksonville, Fla. as they will take on conference opponent Jacksonville in game two of a three game series.

ETSU 21 Jacksonville 4 (March 20, 2008 at Jacksonville, Fla.)
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ETSU............(10)20  610  200   -  21  16  1   (3-15, 3-7 A-Sun)

JU.....................002  101  000   -  4  14  4   (13-5, 7-3 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Brandon Langston; Drew Story (7); Darren Caldwell (9)
JU - Tim Brown; Glenn Witkowski (2); Josh Burrows (4); Matt Tomshaw (4)

Win - Brandon Langston(1-4) Loss - Tim Brown (2-2)

HR - ETSU -  Troy Mendez (3); Bart Roark (1); Anthony Russell 2(6)