Friday, May 21, 2010

KENNESAW, Ga. (May 21, 2010) - The ETSU baseball team bounced back to take the second game of the doubleheader from Kennesaw State 4-3 after dropping the first game 6-3 Friday at Stillwell Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga. With the win the Bucs lock up the third seed in the Atlantic Sun tournament.

Junior Ben Booker (Knoxville, Tenn.) was tabbed with the loss for the Bucs (30-26, 15-12 A-Sun) in game one surrendering four runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings, while Bo Burton (Kingsport, Tenn.) shut down the Owls in game two after giving up three runs in the first inning to pick up his eighth win on the season.

Burton went 7.0 innings allowing only the three runs on five hits while striking out five.

Reliever Zak Griffith was the winning pitcher of record for Kennesaw State (23-31, 12-15 A-Sun) in game one going 5.2 innings allowing one run on two hits. In game two, reliever J.B. Johnson was tabbed with the loss after giving up one run on two hits in 2.1 innings.

Offensively, freshman Michael Gonzalez (Jupiter, Fla.) led the way for ETSU going 3-for-8 with three RBI and scored twice. Kerry Doane (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and third baseman Bo Reeder (Cookeville, Tenn.) also had three hits on the day.

Game One Recap:

The Owls went in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first as Drew Fowkles singled in a run.

ETSU answered scoring two runs in the top of the second on a RBI double by Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) and a Gonzalez RBI single.

In the bottom half of the second, KSU regained the lead scoring three runs on three hits including a two-run single by Bucky Smith to take a 4-2 lead.

The skies opened up in the fourth inning as the game underwent a two hour rain delay.

When the game resumed neither team could scratch across a run until the top of the seventh when Gonzalez singled in Doane from third to cut the Owls lead to 4-3.

Kennesaw State added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run single by Ronnie Freeman to make the final 6-3.

Game Two Recap:

KSU again jumped out to a lead in the first inning going ahead 3-0 after a solo home run by Smith and a two-run home run by Fowlkes.

The Bucs got on the board in the fifth inning as Reeder came in to score on a ball hit to second by Gonzalez to make the score 3-1 KSU.

First baseman Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth as he crushed his 24^th home run of the year over the Bailey Building in left for a solo home run.

In the seventh, freshman Andrew Green (Powell, Tenn.) drove in Gonzalez from third on a ball hit to second to even the game at 3-all.

Freshman Derek Niesman (Wellington, Fla.) gave the Buccaneers a 4-3 lead in the eighth as Gonzalez scored from second on the Niesman single.

Byrne came in and closed out the game for ETSU throwing two scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first career save.

The Bucs are back in action Wednesday at the Atlantic Sun tournament as they will face the fourth seed North Florida in a 7 p.m. contest. For more information on ETSU baseball and all other Buccaneer athletic news please visit www.ETSUBucs.com.

Game 1: Kennesaw State 6, ETSU 3 (May 21, 2010 at Kennesaw, Ga.)
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ETSU............ 020  000  100   -  3      6      2       (29-25, 14-12 A-Sun)

KSU............... 130  000  20x    -  6    13     3       (23-31, 12-14 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Ben Booker; Scott McNally (4)

KSU - Josh Carr; Zak Griffith (4)

Win - Zak Griffith (4-4) Loss - Ben Booker (6-2)                         

Game 2: ETSU 4, Kennesaw State 3 (May 21, 2010 at Kennesaw, Ga.)
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ETSU............ 000  011  110  -  4      9      2       (30-25, 15-12 A-Sun)

KSU............... 300  000  000   -  3      6      1       (23-32, 12-15 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Bo Burton; Chas Byrne (8)

KSU - Brad Long; Kyle Clayton (7); J.B. Johnson (7)

Win - Bo Burton (8-5) Loss - J.B. Johnson (5-2)                        

HR - ETSU - Paul Hoilman (24)

KSU - Bucky Smith (3); Drew Fowlkes (12)