ETSU freshman Tim Turner went 4-for-4 and led a 12-hit attack as the Bucs defeated Davidson, 10-6, to sweep a three-game Southern Conference series at Cardinal Park Sunday. The game was tied 5-5 in the eighth when ETSU exploded for five runs to seal their sixth win in the last eight games.
Aside from Turner’s four hits, eight Buccaneers collected one hit while senior Ryan McKinney and senior Nathan Copeland collected two runs batted in.
Copeland belted a two-run shot in the third – his third of the series and team-high eighth home run on the season.
The Davidson offense was paced by James Marino and Billy Ryan who both went 3-for-5. Left fielder Tim Frend went 2-for-5 at the plate and stroked his seventh home run of the season.
With runners on second and third and two outs in the second, Davidson’s D.J. Dailey hit an infield single that scored Ryan, but Matt Berry rounded third and was gunned at the plate on a strong throw from Buccaneer shortstop Jeremy Terry. The Bucs tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second. After Copeland was beaned and moved to third on a Brandon Cross single, Turner blistered a single into right field that scored Copeland.
The Wildcats went ahead, 2-1, with a run in the third. After one out, Ryan Stroker doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Marino single to right.
In the home half of the third, Copeland belted his third home run of the series to give ETSU a 3-2 lead.
The visitors loaded the bases in the fourth on an error and two singles. Stroker reached on a fielder’s choice but Jeremiah Parvin was forced out at home for the second out of the inning. Davidson did score in the frame, tying the game 3-3, on a Casey wild pitch. The Wildcats added two more in the fifth on an RBI double from Cassidy Lundin that scored Marino and a single that scored Lundin. The score was 5-3 after five innings and all eight runs were scored after two outs.
The Bucs knotted the scored 5-5 with two runs in the sixth, thanks to three hits and a couple of Davidson errors. Designated hitter Josh Warner began the frame with a double to the rightcenter gap. Jason Brotherton followed with an infield single and moved to second on an error by Davidson’s third baseman. Warner scored on the play when Davidson first baseman Marino sailed a throw into the outfield. Brotherton later scored after a Turner single and an errant throw by the Wildcat catcher.
ETSU started a lucrative eighth with infield singles from pinch-hitter Kirk Keithley and Turner. Terry loaded the bases when he reached on an error before McKinney lifted a two-run single into right.
Ryan Hyder followed with a run-scoring single to left center and Baxter powered a sacrifice fly to continue the rally. Cross knocked in the fifth run on a deep fly to center that was dropped by Parvin. Hyder’s run made the score 10-5 heading into the ninth.
The Wildcats’ Tim Frend stroked his seventh home run of the season in the ninth to complete the scoring at 10-6. Senior Matt Nunley earned the win on the mound, his second of the series and of the season. The right-hander pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits. Davidson’s Derrik Wolpert suffered the loss, falling to 2-5 on the season.
ETSU returns to action at 7 p.m. on Thursday against UNC-Asheville.

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