KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 17, 2024) – Playing a pair of Power-5 schools, the ETSU softball team suffered losses to Ole Miss and Pittsburgh on Saturday at the Kennesaw State Tournament. The Bucs opened the day with a hard-fought 5-3 setback to Ole Miss and dropped a 14-6 decision to Pitt in six innings from Bailey Park.
With the setbacks, ETSU fell to 1-8 on the season with the Bucs closing out play with the host Owls on Sunday at 1 p.m.
ETSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Ole Miss thanks to
Sara Muir scoring a first-inning run and later belting the Bucs' first home run of the season in the third inning. Muir's two-run shot to right-center scored
Cameron Young.
The Bucs were unable to hold onto the lead as the Rebels rallied back.
Ole Miss plated a solo run in the third and used a four-run fifth inning to complete the comeback. Following a two-run scoring single by Paige Smith, the Rebels took the lead on back-to-back bases loaded walks to go ahead, 5-3.
ETSU had the tying run at the plate in the sixth and the go-ahead run at the dish in the seventh, but the Bucs couldn't find the timely hit. In total, the Bucs left 11 runners stranded in the contest, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth.
The Bucs outhit the Rebels, 7-6, with Young and Muir each finished with two-hit games.
Gabrielle Fowler (0-1) made the start in the circle for the Bucs as she allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings. Fowler struck out two and walked four, while
Taylor Suchy pitched the final 1.2 innings where she walked three and struck out two.
Ole Miss' Brianna Lopez earned the win (1-0) as she tossed three scoreless innings of two-hit ball, while Aynslie Furbush picked up the save.
The Bucs took the field right after to take on Pittsburgh.
ETSU jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the top of first after
Sara Muir and
Riley Nayadley registered RBI singles; however, the Panthers responded with six unanswered runs to go ahead 6-2 after two innings of play.
The Bucs got a run back on an RBI single from
Maddison Stowell in the top of the third, but the Panthers plated two in the bottom half of the frame, making it an 8-3 lead.
ETSU's offense kept producing at the plate as
Gracen Hinson and
Halle Laramie each drove in runs in the fifth and
Cameron Young's sixth-inning double brought home
Brylee Mesusan, cutting the Bucs' deficit to two, 8-6.
Unfortunately, the Panthers scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to close out the game with the eight-run victory.
Both teams pounded out double-digit hits with the Bucs finishing with 10 and the Panthers finishing with 14.
Young, Muir and Nayadley each had two-hit games.
Muir took the loss (1-3) in the circle as she was charged for 12 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits in five-plus innings.
For more information about ETSU softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and select softball.
