The ETSU baseball team got a little more than they wanted from Western Carolina on Sunday, but they would hold on to win 4-3 on a windy day at Cardinal Park. The Bucs dropped both games in the doubleheader on Saturday, but they got out of the skid with a big win in the third game.
Western Carolina starter Derrick Hawk troubled ETSU batters in the beginning of the game and he did not surrender a hit until senior Andy Howdeshell drove a single up the middle in the fourth. After that hit, the Bucs would get comfortable and pound out ten more for the game. Steven Calicutt pitched one of his best games of the season only giving up two runs and only handing out two free passes in seven innings of work.
“He came out, threw strikes and kept the ball low in the strike zone, and that’s what we needed today,” said Tony Skole.
Freshman Brandon Summey came in to relieve Calicutt in the eighth and he was followed by closer Caleb Moore earned his fifth save of the year. ETSU received a scare in the ninth when Catamount shortstop Wayne Kilmer cranked a homerun over the right field wall and then Moore walked another batter with only one out in the inning.
The defense would then step up and get the next two outs and help ETSU record its fourteenth win of the season.
The middle of the line-up provided most of the hits on Sunday for the Bucs.
Steven Douglas(3 for 4), Josiah Glafenhein(3 for 4), and Howdeshell(2 for 3) went a combined eight for 11 and helped bury the Catamounts. Timely hits were key to this Southern Conference victory.
“Steven Douglas had a big two out hit that really help us in the seventh,” Skole said.
ETSU would have had more scoring opportunities, but Western Carolina catcher Devner Edick caught three Buccaneer base runners stealing. Edick has been doing this all year for the Catamounts as he is now caught eight of his last 13 runners.
ETSU is now 5-10 in conference play and now they will take a short break from the SoCon and travel to Lindsey Nelson Stadium to face Tennessee on Wednesday. The game will start at 7p.m. ETSU will not return to Cardinal Park until April 17 to face Appalachian State in a double header.

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