Saturday, April 21, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Apr. 21, 2007) - Belmont pitching once again dominated the Bucs, holding ETSU to just five hits for the second consecutive day, and the Bruins claimed an 8-4 Atlantic Sun Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Shelby Park, extending ETSU's losing streak to six games.

The Bruins (24-16, 11-6 A-Sun) scored four runs in the final three innings to break open a 4-4 game, and reliever Brandon Paetznick retired 15 of 16 batters he faced, including 14 straight to end the game, as Belmont clinched the series, sending the Bucs to their second consecutive A-Sun series defeat.

Belmont took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Brandon McCall's two-run home run to left field, a towering blast that just stayed fair, wrapping around the foul pole in the left field corner.

The Bucs (24-18, 10-7 A-Sun) cut the lead in half in the third on senior Justin Aughey's (Davie, Fla.) RBI single through the left side.  Sophomore Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.), who led off the inning with a walk, scored on the play.

After two more Bruin runs in the bottom of the third, Allen's fourth inning RBI single scored freshman Tanner Moore (Chattanooga, Tenn.) who led off the frame with his 11^th double of the season.  Freshman Justin Tramble's (Marietta, Ga.) sacrifice fly later in the inning scored senior Michael Courtney (Knoxville, Tenn.) and pulled the Bucs within a run.

A fifth inning double steal with runners at the corners brought home junior Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.), and tied the game at four, but Paetznick retired the final 13 batters afterwards.

Paetznick struck out four and allowed just one hit in five innings of relief work for Bruin starter Josh Moffitt, improving to 2-1 on the season.  Freshman starter Todd Caldwell (Johnson City, Tenn.) allowed five runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of work, dropping his second consecutive decision and falling the 2-2 on the season.

The Bucs will try to salvage the weekend and snap their longest losing streak in two years in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Shelby Park.  First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. eastern time.