Thursday, May 15, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 15, 2008) - The ETSU baseball team dropped game one of a three-game series to Stetson Thursday night at Cardinal Park, 6-4.

ETSU (18-36, 9-22) out hit the Hatters 11-7 but three Buc errors would lead to three Stetson runs. Starter Brandon Langston (Ringgold, Ga.) went seven innings allowing four runs (three earned)  on five hits and struck out two while walking two.

Stetson got on the board in the top of the first as Justin Bass doubled to left driving in a run to give the Hatters a 1-0 lead.

The Bucs answered in the bottom of the first as Danny Petro (Atlanta, Ga.) singled to center driving in Troy Mendez (Roswell, Ga.) from second to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) singled through the left side giving the Bucs a 2-1 lead as Petro would come in and score.

In the second inning, Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) singled through the left side with two outs scoring Chris Rankhorn (Gallatin, Tenn.) to give ETSU a 3-1 lead.

The Hatters tied things up in the top of the third as Sean Emory hit a towering home run over the right field fence to make the score 3-3.

Russell drove in another run in the fourth as Chas Byrne (Johnson City, Tenn.) came in to score on a Russell sacrifice fly to center to give the Bucs a 4-3 lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Hatters tied the game up on a Buc error making the score 4-4. Stetson took the lead in the top of the eighth as the Hatters scored two more on a Jeff Simpson single through the right side to make the final 6-4.

Rankhorn led the team with three hits, while Russell had two RBI on the day. Mendez and Petro each had two hits including a double.

The Bucs are back in action tomorrow as they will take on Stetson in game two of the three-game series. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m.

Stetson 6, ETSU 4 (May 15, 2008 at Johnson City, Tenn.)
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SU…...........102  000  120   - 6  7  1   (23-31, 13-18 A-Sun)

ETSU..........210  100  000  -  4  11  3   (18-36, 9-22 A-Sun)

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Pitchers: ETSU - Brandon Langston; Matt McGahey (8)
SU - David Burns; Will Dorsey (6)

Win - Will Dorsey (2-1) Loss - Matt McGahey (1-5)

HR - SU - Sean Emory (2)