SPARTANBURG, S.C. (May 8, 2026) – The ETSU baseball team scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, but Wofford held on for the 7-6 win on Friday from Spartanburg. With Friday's loss, ETSU moves to 29-18 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
Half of ETSU's 10 hits went for extra bases on Friday with four doubles and one home run.
Nate Conner slugged the home run for ETSU, while
Mason Ault reached base three times on a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with two runs scored.
Andrew Hill (2-for-4, two runs scored, one RBI) and
Henry Ferguson (2-for-5, two RBI) also had two-hit days to help lead ETSU's offense.
Six different pitchers saw action for ETSU against the Terriers.
Logan Grass made his first career start and pitched the first four innings. In those four innings of work, Grass allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out two.
Tyler Kropis picked up three strikeouts in 1.1 shutout innings following Grass out of ETSU's bullpen.
Carter Oliff (0.1 innings) and
Reilly Byers (one inning) also logged scoreless appearances in relief for the Bucs.
The two starting pitchers started well on Friday with three scoreless innings on each side. The Bucs broke through in the top of the fourth.
Axel Melendez got things rolling with a double and he scored soon after with a line drive single from
Tyler Fetterman to give ETSU a 1-0 lead.
Wofford got itself on the board in the bottom half of the same inning. A leadoff triple scored on a RBI single from Hunter Herndon. A two-run home run by Lucas Manning later in the frame gave the Terriers their first lead of the game, 3-1.
The scoring continued for the Bucs in the fifth. Ault led the inning off with a walk. Hill lined a double to left field to give ETSU a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. Like he has done several times this season, Ferguson came through with a big hit with runners on base with a double that scored Ault and Hill to even the score at three. It marked the second time this season that Wofford's starter Alec Bouchard, who had entered the game third nationally in ERA, had allowed three or more runs in an outing in 2026.
Wofford pulled back in front in the seventh. Two walks, two well-placed bunt singles led into a key three-run double from Marc Quarrie to make the score 7-3 Terriers. Those pair of free passes were the first issued by ETSU's pitching staff up to that point in the game.
Following a scoreless eighth, the Bucs made a late rally in the ninth. Ault sparked it with a double with two outs. Hill delivered an RBI single that brought Ault around to score to make it 7-4 Wofford. ETSU got even closer with Conner smashing his 14
th home run of the season to close the gap to a single run. However, Wofford's Branton Little was able to record that elusive 27
th out and preserve the 7-6 win for the Terriers.
ETSU will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon in the second game of the weekend. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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