JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 25, 2025) – East Tennessee State University softball scored the program's most runs since February 23, 2019, in a 13-1 rout of Winthrop on Tuesday.

The Buccaneers, who scored 13 runs for the first time in the Milligan era, also scored 13 or more runs for the first time since a 15-6 run rule of St. Francis on Feb. 23, 2019. It's the third run-rule win in the Milligan era and the second run rule victory in the last three weeks.

Freshman Whitney Boone and junior Leinani Lutu each had two hit, three RBI days. Both marks are career bests for Boone. Senior Cameron Young made it a trio with two hits on the day, and Young and Lutu both homered. It's also the program's first multi-homer game in nearly two years – the last time the Bucs left the yard twice was April 7, 2023 at Samford. The last time ETSU had a multi-homer game at Betty Basler came on March 24, 2021 against USC Upstate.

Young kicked off the scoring for ETSU with a drive to left center that kept carrying until it dropped on the gravel path past the outfield fence. Her long bomb tied the game at one after Winthrop scored its lone run of the game in the top half of the inning.

With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the second inning, Winthrop's second baseman misplayed a ground ball that reached the outfield and allowed both Lutu and Boone to score. The Bucs took full advantage, and rattled off five more runs in the inning.

Back-to-back hits from junior Abigail Taylor and senior Riley Nayadley kept the party going before Young reached on the second error of the inning. Two straight walks followed before Boone continued her stellar day with a two-RBI single to cap off the seven-run onslaught. 

After not scoring in the third, ETSU carried its 8-1 lead into the fourth. After Nayadley and Young reached to open the inning, Suchy and Boone moved the Bucs into run-rule territory with hits that scored one each. Lutu put a stamp on the game with a three-run blast to left center that pushed the score to its eventual final of 13-1.

Junior Marissa Barnes pitched a clean third and fourth inning en route to her second win of the season, and Suchy delivered a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth to secure the run-rule victory.

Next, ETSU resumes SoCon play at 1 p.m. on Saturday against Furman.

For more information on Buccaneer softball, follow @ETSUSoftball on X (Twitter), @etsubucssoftball on Instagram and visit ETSUBucs.com.