Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. (May 7, 2025) – East Tennessee State University softball battled, but were unable to replicate its early afternoon comeback and fell 7-6 to Samford in the final game of Day 1 of the SoCon Tournament.
Brylee Mesusan had a three-hit game and
Halle Laramie tied her career high from earlier Wednesday with another three RBI.
The Bucs carried over the hot hitting from the end of the Western Carolina game to the first inning against the Bulldogs.
Abigail Taylor led off by legging out an infield single, and
Cameron Young ripped her second double of the day down the left field line and past the outstretched glove of the Samford outfielder all the way to the wall, easily scoring Taylor.
After a sacrifice bunt moved Young to third,
Sara Muir drove her in on a single up the middle. Singles from
Brylee Mesusan and
Leinani Lutu followed to load the bases.
Tiare Rieger worked a bases-loaded walk and
Halle Laramie continued the best day of her career with her fourth RBI of the day after having only four RBI on the season entering the SoCon Tournament.
Samford responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning, hitting three singles and drawing a walk before a bases-clearing double tied the game at 4-4 at the end of the nearly-30 minute first inning.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the second inning on an RBI single from Katie Campbell, but
Marissa Barnes entered and left runners on base to keep the score at 5-4.
Laramie's hot streak continued in the top of the third. After
Makayla Veglia, Lutu and Rieger loaded the bases, Laramie smoked a hit to center to score Lutu and Veglia and give the Bucs a 6-5 lead.
Whitney Boone entered at third base in the bottom of the third for her first innings in the infield this season. She made an immediate impact, recording an assist on a groundout and leapt into the dugout railing to make an impressive snag and help Barnes not allow any runs in the frame.
The game continued its back-and-forth pace, as Samford took a 7-6 lead off a pair of RBI singles. Barnes again limited the damage, though, stranding the loaded bases to keep the ETSU deficit at just one run.
Whitney Boone opened the fifth with a single, and Mesusan chopped an 0-2 pitch to the second baseman but beat the throw to put two runners on base. The Bucs got Boone to third but stranded Boone and Mesusan, and the score remained 7-6 in favor of Samford.
The Buccaneers got runners on in the sixth and seventh, but were unable to capitalize and fell, 7-6.
Next, ETSU will face the loser of No. 1 Chattanooga and No. 5 Mercer in an elimination game at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 8.
For more information on Buccaneer softball, follow @ETSUSoftball on X (Twitter), @etsubucssoftball on Instagram and visit ETSUBucs.com.
