Friday, May 12, 2006

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 12, 2006) - The Baseball Bucs scored five two-out runs, and Ryan Howe (Spartanburg, S.C.) pitched eight strong innings, as ETSU defeated Gardner-Webb 5-4 in Atlantic Sun play Friday evening from Cardinal Park. The Bucs have now won a season-high five consecutive games.

Senior Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) celebrated senior night by driving in two runs, moving past Caleb Moore for first place on the all-time ETSU RBI list.  The first baseman now has 171 RBI in his career.

Howe (5-3) pitched a career-high eight-plus innings, striking out two and scattering eight hits, picking up his fifth win of the season.

The Bucs (27-21, 13-12) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, when Church tied the RBI record with a two-out double to left field, plating fellow senior Shane Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) who had earlier reached on his fourth triple of the season.

Junior Michael Courtney's (Knoxville, Tenn.) fourth inning two-out single to left field scored Church and gave ETSU a 2-0 advantage.

Junior Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) hammered his eighth home run of the season to right center field in the fifth, and following a Byrne double, Church singled to right field, setting the RBI record and giving the Bucs a 4-0 lead.

Leading 4-1 in the eighth inning, junior Justin Aughey (Davie, Fla.) singled up the middle, scoring senior Matt Traylor (Knoxville, Tenn.) with what proved to be the game winning run.

The Bulldogs (22-27, 10-15) rallied in the ninth, plating two runs off Howe before senior closer Steven Calicutt (Spartanburg, S.C.) slammed the door for his 10^th save of the season.

The two teams continue the series with a doubleheader from Cardinal Park Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.