Wednesday, April 07, 2010

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 7, 2010) - The ETSU baseball team rallied for four runs in the eighth, but it was not enough as the Bucs fell to Eastern Kentucky 7-6 Wednesday afternoon at Cardinal Park.

Sophomore Josh Means (Kennesaw, Ga.) suffered his second loss of the season for the Bucs (17-11, 6-3 A-Sun) going 7.0 innings allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits.

Stephen Hefler earned the win for EKU (14-14, 3-3 OVC) after 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Offensively, Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) was the only Buccaneer with multiple hits in the game, while freshman Kerry Doane (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) had a team-best two RBI.

The Colonels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Ryan Faidley came in to score on an ETSU error.

In the third, EKU increased its lead to 2-0 as Dustin Dunlop came in to score on yet another Buccaneer error.

ETSU rallied in the bottom half of the inning tying the game at 2-all. Andrew Green (Powell, Tenn.) led off the inning with a single and then stole second. Later in the inning, Matthew Scruggs (Knoxville, Tenn.) deposited a bases loaded single into right scoring Green. Catcher Skyler Barnett (Johnson City, Tenn.) came in to score on a Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) sacrifice fly to center to even the game.

After a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Eastern Kentucky jumped back in front 4-2 on a two-run double by Joey Stevens.

EKU scored a run in the seventh as Richie Allen came across on an Anthony Ottrando single to make the score 5-2.

The Colonels pushed across a couple insurance runs in the eighth on a two-run home run to left by Jacob Daniel to take a 7-2 lead.

The Bucs plated four runs in the bottom half on three hits. Three runs came around to score on a Doane single up the middle and a throwing error by Allen to cut the lead to 7-5. With Doane on third, Michael Gonzalez (Jupiter, Fla.) drove a sacrifice fly to right scoring Doane to make the score 7-6.

EKU got a perfect ninth from Ryne Purcell to close out the game as Purcell picked up his seventh save of the year.

The Bucs are back in action Friday at 6:30 p.m. as they head to Jacksonville, Fla. this weekend for a conference series against the Dolphins. Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for more information on ETSU baseball and all other Buccaneer athletic news.

Eastern Kentucky 7, ETSU 6 (April 7, 2010 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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EKU............... 011  002  120      -      7    12  3  (14-14, 3-3 OVC)

ETSU............ 002  000  040      -      6      7   4  (17-11, 6-3 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Josh Means; Ben Booker (8); Bo Burton (9)

EKU - Anthony Bazzani; Stephen Hefler (5); Greg Terry (7) Matt Harris (8); Ryne Purcell (9)

Win - Stephen Hefler (2-2) Loss - Josh Means (0-2) Save - Ryne Purcell (7)

HR - EKU - Jacob Daniel (1)