Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLINTON, S.C. - East Tennessee State softball opened the 2026 campaign with a pair of wins to start the season 2-0. The Bucs (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) defeated Albany (0-1, AEC) 8-7 and Presbyterian (3-3, 0-0 Big South) 14-1. The Bucs start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
GAME 1 NOTABLES (Albany)
- Senior pitcher Taylor Suchy collected the win in the circle, accumulating three strikeouts through 24 batters faced with five putouts for her second career win.
- Senior catcher Leinani Lutu boasted four putouts alongside two assists and went 3-4 at the plate with one double and three RBI.
- Abigail Taylor led the Bucs in base running with three stolen bases after going 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and one walk. The three stolen bases is a career-high for the senior center fielder.
- Riley Croley, the freshman third baseman, went 2-5 in her ETSU debut with one double and two RBI.
- Junior second baseman Tiare Rieger tallied three putouts and one assist with her two walks and one run scored.
- Haliey Porter, the freshman shortstop, collected three putouts and two assists in her collegiate debut with one double.
- Sophomore left fielder Whitney Boone went 2-4 with 2 RBI and one run to tie her career-highs in hit and RBI.
GAME 2 NOTABLES (Presbyterian)
- Hailey Porter collected her first collegiate home run in the top of the third inning for one RBI, tacking on two putouts and two assists after going 2-4 at the plate with four RBI.
- Leinani Lutu tallied a single-game high for the Bucs through two games of seven putouts.
- Riley Martens tied Lutu in putouts with seven for the individual single-game high thus far and went 1-3 at the plate with one RBI.
- Riley Croley crossed the plate four times for the individual single-game high and went 2-3 with four RBI and two walks with one assist.
- Tiare Rieger went 2-4 with one RBI and one run, adding two putouts and one assist on defense.
- Senior pitcher Marissa Barnes picked up her first win of the season and her fifth through the last two. Through four innings, Barnes recorded three strikeouts, seeing 18 batters.
- Eden Muncy, the sophomore pitcher, collected four strikeouts through 10 batters faced in three innings of action.
UP NEXT
The Bucs return to action on Saturday, Febuary 14 with back-to-back appearances in the Scotsman Invitational versus Albany at 10 a.m. and Mercyhurst at 12:15 p.m. at the PC Softball Complex.
