JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 11, 2025) – After a rain delay that lasted a little over a hour, the ETSU baseball team returned to the win column on Friday with a 9-2 victory over Western Carolina. Friday's win improves ETSU's record to 23-9 overall and 4-3 in conference action.
 
Playing for the first time in almost a week, the ETSU offense totaled 15 hits in the win over the Catamounts, which is tied for the second most by the team in a game this season. Cody Miller paced the Bucs by going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI. Cooper Torres also had a three-hit night in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with two runs scored. Blake Jacklin (2-for-5), Grant Gallagher (2-for-4) and Tristan Curless (2-for-2) also had multi-hit outings for the Bucs in the win.
 
ETSU used just three pitchers in the series-opening win. Starter Carter Fink turned in one of his better outings of the season firing six innings with two runs allowed (one earned) on eight hits to go with eight strikeouts. The eight strikeouts for Fink were a new career-high for him in a Buccaneer uniform. Following Fink, who earned his sixth win of the season, were Brady Frederick and Landon Crumbley. Just one WCU runner reached base in the final three innings and the tandem of Frederick and Crumbley struck out five to nail down the 9-2 victory.
 
Western Carolina got on the board first on Friday with a RBI single in the top of the first. Miller's first home run of the day came in the bottom of the third to knot the score at one. ETSU would gain its first lead of the evening on a wild pitch later in the third inning.
 
Miller came up with a runner on in the bottom of the fourth and crushed the ball over the wall for his second homer of the day and 11^th of the season. It is Miller's second multi-home run game of the season after he also slugged two against Longwood roughly a month ago. After Miller's second homer, Torres brought home another run with a single and the score read 5-1 ETSU after four innings.
 
WCU got a run back in the fifth to close the gap to three runs. However, the Bucs went on to score two runs in the seventh and eighth innings bolster their lead. With the extra run support and the stellar work on the mound from Fink and the Buccaneer bullpen, the Bucs finished off the 9-2 win over the Catamounts.
 
The Bucs will look to clinch the series win on Saturday in game two. First pitch for that contest is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Thomas Stadium.  

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