JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2024) – The ETSU baseball team opened the 2024 season with a 27-7 victory over Lafayette on Friday at Thomas Stadium. The 27 runs scored by the Bucs on Friday is the team's most ever in a season opener and the squad's most in a game since 2008 when they scored 29 against Maryland Eastern Shore.
As the 27 runs would indicate, plenty of Buccaneers had stellar days at the plate. Eight of the nine players in the starting lineup picked up a hit and all nine reached base at least once. Furthermore, 12 different players scored a run, 10 got at least one hit and/or drove in a run.
Cameron Sisneros went 2-for-5 with five RBI that included a three-run home run in the first inning. Fellow Preseason All-SoCon selection
Cody Miller drove in four runs and scored two more himself in a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
JD Yakubinis had an impressive ETSU debut going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBI and a home run.
Nick Iannantone and
Noah Webb both scored four runs, while
Jackson Green drove in four more despite not starting the game.
ETSU used five different pitchers in Friday's season opener.
Landon Crumbley started the game and worked the first three innings. Crumbley struck out six, including three in the first inning, and allowed two runs on two hits in his debut with the Blue and Gold.
Andrew Cotten and
Cason Engert both tossed scoreless innings, while freshman
Jace Hyde got the win after working a team-high 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on two hits to go along with seven strikeouts in his collegiate debut.
The Buccaneers wasted little time on jumping on Lafayette. After Crumbley struck out the side in the top of the first, ETSU sent 13 hitters to the plate and nine of them came around to score. Sisneros launched an opposite field three-run home run to get the scoring started.
Noah Gent and Miller both added to the ETSU lead with RBI singles before Sisneros came up again and drove a ball into the gap for a double to score Iannantone to make it 9-0 Bucs after the first. The nine runs in the first inning are the most by the Bucs in an inning since April 29, 2023, when they scored nine in the opening frame against Western Carolina.
Lafayette got on the board with two runs in the second, but the Bucs matched it with a pair of runs in their half of the inning. One of those runs came via a solo home run by Yakubinis. ETSU would add to its lead with two in the fifth and sixth before scoring a combined 12 runs in the seventh and eighth. Lafayette did score five runs in the eighth, but it did little to slow down the Bucs in a 27-7 victory.
The series will resume on Saturday at Thomas Stadium. First pitch for game two is slated for 2 p.m.
For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball tab.
