Wednesday, April 30, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 30, 2008) - The ETSU baseball team swept North Carolina Central Wednesday night at Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn., 10-2.

ETSU (15-31, 9-18) out hit NCCU 10-3 while drawing eight walks in the game. Starter Josh Means (Kennesaw, Ga.) pitched four innings for the Bucs allowing one run on one hit and struck out five while walking one.

The Eagles jumped on the board first in the top of the second on a RBI single by Jerel Campbell to take a 1-0 lead. The Bucs came back in the bottom half to tie things up as Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) singled down the left field line scoring Bubba Herbold (Knoxville, Tenn.) from second to make the score 1-1.

In the bottom of the third, Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) singled down the left field line driving in Troy Mendez (Roswell, Ga.) to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead. Chris Rankhorn (Gallatin, Tenn.) added to the ETSU lead driving in Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) on a single to left to make the score 3-1 Bucs.

NCCU cut into the Bucs lead in the top of the fifth on a RBI single up the middle by David Scott to cut the ETSU lead to 3-2.

Jacob Fabry (Chattanooga, Tenn.) increased the ETSU lead  to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth as he tripled down the left field line driving in Jon Edmonds (Johnson City, Tenn.).

The Bucs scored again in the sixth on a Derek Trent (Kingsport, Tenn.) single through the ride side scoring Hoilman to give the Bucs a 5-2 lead.

Edmonds got his first career RBI at ETSU in the seventh as Byrne came in to score on his single to left to make the score 6-2. Edmonds would score later in the inning on a grounder to first by Fabry to give the Bucs a 7-2 lead. The Bucs scored three more runs in the inning on a RBI double to right center by Russell and a two run single to left by Rankhorn to make the score 10-2.

The Bucs had five guys with multiple hits including Rankhorn who was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Russell was also 2-for-4 with a double and scored two runs. Byrne was 2-for-3 with two walks and snapped a streak of seven straight hits.

The ETSU bullpen was in good form again as they combined to allow one run on three hits while striking out six and walking two.

The Bucs are back in action this weekend as they will host Maryland Eastern Shore. Game one is set for 2 p.m. Friday with games two and three at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

ETSU 10, NC Central 2 (April 30, 2008 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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NCCU.........010  010  000   -  2    3    2   (6-30)

ETSU..........012  011  50x   -  10  10  2   (15-31, 9-18 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Josh Means; Drew Story (5); Darren Caldwell (7)
NCCU - Jeff Citero; Brian Brice (6)

Win -  Josh Means (3-7) Loss - Jeff Citero (0-8)