Friday, March 12, 2010

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 12, 2010) - Freshman Kerry Doane (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led the way with five RBI as the ETSU baseball team clobbered SIU Edwardsville 24-4 in a rain shortened game Friday afternoon at Cardinal Park.

The Bucs (9-2) pounded out 24 runs on 20 hits including five home runs and five doubles. Doane was 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, scored four runs and had five RBI. Centerfielder Matthew Scruggs (Knoxville, Tenn.) was also perfect at the plate for ETSU as he went 3-for-3 with a double, two walks, scored three runs and drove in four.

Junior Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-2 on the year. Byrne went 5.0 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks.

Luke Vine was tabbed with the loss for the Cougars (2-11) after surrendering 11 runs on ten hits in 2.0 innings of work.

The Bucs scored a season high eight runs twice in the game, as ETSU had seven players finish with multiple hits and five players with multiple RBI.

ETSU got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first scoring eight runs on eight hits highlighted by a two-run home run by Doane and a two-run double by Scruggs to take a 8-0 lead.

Doane added two more runs for the Bucs in the bottom of the second as he homered for the second time on the day to left making the score 10-0.

SIUE cut into the ETSU lead in the top of the third on a pair of RBI singles by Adam Eggemeyer and Mitch Matecki to make the score 10-2.

Shortstop Garrett May (Marietta, Ga.) led off the bottom of the third with a solo shot to center to increase the ETSU lead to 11-2.

The Cougars chipped into the Buccaneer lead in the top of the fourth on a RBI single by Matt Highland and a sacrifice fly by Eggemeyer to bring the score to 11-4.

The Bucs increased their advantage to 15-4 in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Scruggs and Doane and a two-run single by freshman Andrew Green (Powell, Tenn.).

In the bottom of the fifth, ETSU again exploded for eight runs on five hits including a grandslam by catcher Derek Trent (Kingsport, Tenn.) to make the score 23-4. Trent's home run was his fourth of the season as he also had five RBI on the day.

ETSU capped off its scoring in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Derek Niesman (Wellington, Fla.) homered to left to make the final 24-4.

With a 3-2 count to Mike Hurt in the top of the seventh, the sky opened up and forced the game to be called.

The Bucs are back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. as they take on SIUE in game two of the series. Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for more information on ETSU baseball and all other Buccaneer athletic news.

ETSU 24, SIU Edwardsville 4 (6 innings)(March 12, 2010 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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SIUE.............. 002  200            -  4      8      1   (2-11)

ETSU............ 821  481            - 24   20     3   (9-2)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Chas Byrne; Derek Bushey (6)

SIUE - Luke Vine; Luke Ingersoll (3); Jake Stauffenberg (5)

Win - Chas Byrne (2-2) Loss - Luke Vine (0-1)

HR - ETSU - Kerry Doane 2(3); Garrett May (1); Derek Trent (4); Derek Niesman (1)