HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 22, 2025) – East Tennessee State University softball fell to James Madison 8-0 (5 innings) and 12-8 to Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
The Dukes dominated the morning slate. ETSU only managed a pair of hits from
Cameron Young and
Halle Laramie, while JMU started the scoring in the second, manufacturing three runs off a groundout, single and sacrifice bunt.
In the third, a bases clearing double doubled the Dukes' lead from 3-0 to 6-0. James Madison hit a pair of solo shots in the fourth to put the run rule in effect, and won 8-0.
The Buccaneer bats came alive in the nightcap, though. Facing a Louisiana Tech team that had already notched upset wins over No. 20 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Auburn, the latter just one day before the game, ETSU found itself in a hole early. The Bulldogs used a bases-loaded hit by pitch, two-run double and flyout to build a 4-0 lead.
Freshman pitcher
Catlin Pennington helped her effort in the circle while at the plate in the next inning, using a flyout to score junior outfielder
Taylor Suchy. Junior outfielder
Brylee Mesusan then reached on a bunt base hit that scored Laramie to cut the Tech lead in half, 4-2.
In the fourth, the Buccaneers tied the game off the bat of graduate transfer outfielder
Nayana DeAmelia, who smoked her first home run of the season to left center and tied the game at 4-4.
The Bulldogs would answer, though, using a double steal to scratch back into the lead before a home run of their own made it 7-4. In the fifth, an RBI single added to the Louisiana Tech lead.
The Blue & Gold had life left, as Mesusan reached on an error that scored a pair of ETSU runners. Freshman catcher
Addison Merritt then came up big, with a two-RBI single for the first RBI of her career to tie the game at 8-8. Louisiana Tech answered one last time in the bottom of the sixth, with a wild pitch scoring the go-ahead run before a three-run homer served as insurance. The Bucs, despite getting a one-out baserunner in the top of the seventh, couldn't add to the tally and fell short, 12-8.
Next, ETSU will finish the Rocket City Softball Showcase against Miami (Ohio) on Sunday.
For more information on Buccaneer softball, follow @ETSUSoftball on X (Twitter), @etsubucssoftball on Instagram and visit ETSUBucs.com.
