JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 21, 2024) – Trailing by three runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, the ETSU softball team brought the go-ahead run to plate; however, the Buccaneers were unable to complete the comeback as Samford held on for a 3-1 win in Sunday's rubber match from Betty Basler Field.
 
Despite out-hitting the Bulldogs 10-8, the Blue & Gold were only able to generate one run as Samford secured the series win.
 
After being honored prior to the game for breaking the all-time program doubles record with 43, Cameron Young kept swinging a hot bat as she went 4-for-4 with an RBI. The four hits marked a career high for the Buccaneer third baseman. Young drove in Halle Laramie – who reached via a one-out double – with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, with runners on the corners and two outs, Jordyn Partain induced Riley Nayadley into a game-ending ground out to short.
 
The Bucs – who were looking for back-to-back Southern Conference series wins for the first time since 2016 – dropped to 10-29 overall and 4-11 in conference play. Samford improved to 16-27, 9-6.
 
With both starting pitchers dealing early on, the Bulldogs finally broke through with a two-run fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Samford did all its damage with two outs as Sarah Squillace reached on a single to third, advanced to second on a bunt single by McKayla Cothran and both runners came home on Grier Bruce's single to center.
 
Samford capped off its scoring with a sacrifice fly RBI in the sixth to go ahead, 3-0.

The Bucs had chances late as they had the bases loaded in the fifth and runners on second and third in the sixth but couldn't push any runs across. In the fifth, Brylee Mesusan was robbed of a hit off a hard liner to first where Samford doubled up Jasmine Sanchez to end the inning. In the sixth, ETSU had runners in scoring in position after Emily Musco laced a two-out double down the right field line, but once again, the Bulldogs kept the Bucs off the board.
 
In the seventh, ETSU finally scratched across the run on Young's RBI single, but a comeback wasn't in the books as Partain got out of trouble to record the complete game win.
 
Partain (9-13) held the Bucs to one run and struck out five in seven innings of work. Kendall Thackston, who got the win on Saturday, suffered the loss (1-4) after allowing two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Taylor Suchy tossed 1.1 innings of one run ball in relief and Gabby Fowler tossed one scoreless inning.
 
Adams joined Young with a multi-hit game as she registered two hits.  
 
The Bucs are back in action on Tuesday when ETSU heads to Virginia for a doubleheader at Radford, starting at 3 p.m.
 
For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the softball page.