The baseball team is off to its best start in years under second-year head coach Joe Pennucci.
This past weekend the Bucs took on Georgetown, riding a five-game winning streak. Coming into the game, the Bucs had a 19-5 record and are undefeated at 3-0 in conference play.
Georgetown has struggled this season and had lost their last five games coming into the series. As good as the Bucs’ bats have been this season, their defense was the story of the weekend.
“I thought we pitched really well, which allowed us to build on leads,” Pennucci said. “I think our pitching has been more consistent this year. The guys are doing well throwing strikes and are having success with their fast balls early.”
In the first game of the series, the Bucs scored in the first inning thanks to a Cullen Smith (Lebanon, Tennessee) right field home run. The Bucs did not give up a run following the score, but their offense stalled the next two innings.
The Bucs got their second run in the fourth inning when a solo flyout by Colby Emmertz (Topsail, North Carolina) led to an RBI to bring Jackson Greer (Knoxville, Tennessee) in for the score. An error by Georgetown led to a steal at home to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead going into the fifth inning.
An RBI flyout by Greer in the fifth inning led to the Bucs getting in their fourth run of the game. Following the score the Bucs’ defense did not allow a run, led chiefly by senior pitcher Micah Kaczor (Washington, D.C.) who threw seven scoreless innings. Kazor also struck out six batters, earning him his fourth win of the season and no losses. With a 4-0 win, the Bucs improved to 20-5 on the season and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The second game of the series was all ETSU, as their offense and defense were clicking. Led by junior Landon Knack (Johnson City, Tennessee) on the mound, the Bucs only allowed three runs all game while the offense exploded for 11 runs all scored in six innings.
Knack, who is having a great season, earned his sixth win of the season. He also retired five batters through six innings. The second game of the series ended with a sound 11-1 Buc victory.
However, the Bucs were in for a battle Sunday after a slow start on both offense and defense.
After giving up three runs through four innings, the Bucs did not score until the fifth inning with two runs still trailing 3-2. Georgetown responded by taking a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning.
Ultimately, the Bucs’ offense ran out of gas scoring their last run in the ninth inning, but so did Georgetown in the ninth. Georgetown won 5-3, handing them their first loss at home since the game against the University of Tennessee.
The Bucs faced off with Radford on Tuesday at Thomas Stadium. Radford returned home with a loss, 6-5.
The Bucs will be on the road to Virginia Military Institute this weekend.
