Sunday, May 01, 2005

(May 1, 2005) - ETSU hosted Southern Conference foe UNCG in the final game of the three-game conference set today at Kiwanis Park in Johnson City.  The visitors completed the series sweep however, with a 4-2 victory improving their record to 20-35, 7-11 in SoCon play, while with the loss, ETSU falls to 24-29, 9-7 in Southern Conference action.  The day also marked Senior Day festivities as Lady Bucs seniors Lindsay Lane (Erwin, Tenn.), Dani Spetar (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Mary Beth Hazelwood (Knoxville, Tenn.) played the final home contest of their careers. 

The Spartans struck first when in the third inning they managed four runs and five hits off of Lady Bucs pitcher Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) taking the 4-0 advantage.  After a Kelly Allen single scoring Gwen Johnson and Kirsta Judge, the ETSU defense forced Adriane Audley into a center-field fly-out ending the UNCG threat.  ETSU answered in the bottom half of the inning when Lady Bucs right-fielder Briana Knight (Brier, Wa.) took first after being hit by Spartan pitcher Vanessa Oakes.   Janine Sprague (Hillsborough, N.C.) singled advancing Knight into scoring position at second base for ETSU's first scoring threat of the afternoon.

After a double steal by Knight and Sprague, Spetar singled scoring Knight for the Bucs' first run of the afternoon.  Lady Bucs pitcher Belinda Barrera (Fayetteville, N.C.) made her 30^th appearance of the season relieving Jenkins to face UNCG in the top of the fourth inning where the Lady Bucs defense held the Spartan bats scoreless the remainder of the afternoon.

Sprague doubled in the bottom of the fifth for her third hit of the afternoon giving ETSU a runner in scoring position at second with two outs in the inning.  Spetar managed her second single and second RBI of the afternoon scoring Sprague as the Bucs neared the UNCG lead at 4-2.   A solid pitching effort from Oakes, and an errorless afternoon by the Spartan defense led them to the 4-2 victory and series sweep.

Leading the way for ETSU on the afternoon was Sprague with three hits, while Spetar added two RBI and two hits for the afternoon.  Jenkins and Barrera combined allowing 12 hits and four runs, striking out three in the loss.

ETSU will travel to Charleston, S.C. to face the Cougars May 7 and 8 for the final weekend of regular season action.  The Southern Conference doubleheader will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.