SPARTANBURG, S.C.. (May 7, 2025) – East Tennessee State University softball came back from a 6-0 deficit to shock Western Carolina 12-9 in the opening round of the 2025 SoCon Tournament on Wednesday.
Abigail Taylor,
Cameron Young and
Riley Nayadley all had three-hit days at the top of the order, and
Halle Laramie set a new career high with a team-high three RBI. The 21 total runs scored is the most in an ETSU game this season. The Bucs are now 5-0 when scoring double-digit runs.
Western Carolina opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after Lily Bell walked, stole second, advanced on a groundout and was singled home to take a 1-0 lead. The Catamounts then posted a five-spot in the second inning to take control of the elimination game.
The Bucs were unable to muster offense through the fourth inning, tallying just three hits in the first four frames.
Leinani Lutu opened the fifth by reaching on an error before
Tiare Rieger hit a bloop single into shallow right field. Lutu turned second hard and made it to third, and the throw allowed Rieger to advance to second. Laramie then entered as a pinch hitter and drove a ball to the wall in right field for a two-run double to plate the first Buccaneer runs of the game.
Abigail Taylor hit a single after fouling off seven consecutive pitches, and then Young brought Laramie home with her 11th double of the season.
Riley Nayadley hit an infield single to load the bases.
Sara Muir drew a walk and
Makayla Veglia was hit by a pitch to drive in a run each before
Taylor Suchy flared one over the head of the second baseman playing in on the infield to drop for a base hit and tie the game at 6-6. The hit parade continued with a single up the middle for Rieger, scoring Muir to take ETSU's first lead of the game at 7-6.
Laramie then notched her career-high third RBI with a sac fly, and the Catamounts finally got out of the inning with the Bucs up 8-6. The eight runs in the inning is tied for the most scored in a single inning by ETSU (also scored eight against Mercyhurst on March 7) and is more than the Bucs scored in all but five full games in 2025.
Western Carolina responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame, scoring a pair to tie the game at 8-8.
The Buccaneers had a response of their own waiting in the sixth. Veglia drove in Young to put the Bucs back up 9-8, and Lutu singled in Veglia and Nayadley to take an 11-8 lead. In the seventh, Nayadley drove in Taylor for an insurance run to go up 12-8.
The Catamounts got a seventh inning, two-out homer from Maya McPherson to cut the deficit to 12-9, but it proved to be too little, too late. The next batter hit a ground ball to Young, who fired to Muir to send the Bucs to the quarterfinals.
Next, ETSU advances into the double elimination portion of the bracket to play No. 3 Samford at 7 p.m. this evening.
For more information on Buccaneer softball, follow @ETSUSoftball on X (Twitter), @etsubucssoftball on Instagram and visit ETSUBucs.com.
