Saturday, October 24, 2009

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 24, 2009) - Katy Jett (Talbott, Tenn.) made her final Blue/Gold Fall Classic a memorable one on Saturday afternoon.

The senior outfielder blasted a two-out pitch over the fence in left-center, which snapped a third inning tie and lifted her Gold squad over Blue, 4-1, in the fifth annual Blue/Gold series at the ETSU Softball Complex.

Jett enjoyed an outstanding afternoon - going 2-for-3 with an intentional walk and a couple game-changing plays in center field. Along with Jett, fellow senior teammate Cheniece Cason (Moreno Valley, Calif.) posted a strong showing in her final Blue/Gold game. Cason went 3-for-4 with a triple, run scored and RBI.

Cason didn't waste any time putting her Gold team ahead, 1-0, as she led off the game with a triple down the right field line and came around to score when sophomore Amy Campbell (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had trouble fielding the throw at third. However, Shelby Morris (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) did an excellent job working out of a jam, as she induced Mikayla Treadway (Unicoi, Tenn.) into an inning-ending grounder to first - leaving runners stranded at second and third.

After being sent down in order to start the game, the Blue team quickly capitalized and evened the game at 1-all, when senior Trisha Massenzo (Russellville, Tenn.) flexed her muscles and sent one flying over the fence in left to lead off the second inning.

Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Blue team was able to muster, and Jett came through with the clutch two-out homer the very next inning - putting Gold up 2-1.

The Gold squad added two insurance runs in the top of the fourth to grab a 4-1 lead. Vicki McCoy (Ringgold, Ga.) - who played for the Lady Bucs in 2008 and 2009 - came through with an RBI single, which plated senior Marissa Hardy (Rocklin, Calif.) from second. Then, with two outs and a runner on third, the Gold team executed a perfect squeeze play - with Cason at the plate - as freshman Tara Hartnett (Snellville, Ga.) slid under the tag at the plate to make it 4-1.

Junior right-hander Jessica Duncan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) retired 12 of the final 14 hitters after surrendering the solo home run to Massenzo, and Hardy entered in the sixth to earn the two-inning save. Duncan tossed five innings of one-run ball, while striking out five Blue hitters. Morris went the distance for Blue and suffered the loss.

The Gold squad was managed by Jared Fries and Cat Zyskowski; while Blue was led by Kevin Brown, Jessie Hackworth, and Stephanie Gaynord.

Saturday marked the final day of fall ball for the Lady Bucs. ETSU returns to the diamond in the spring when they open up the 2010 regular season against St. John's in Charlotte on Feb. 13.  

For more information on Lady Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.