The weather was perfect for baseball in Johnson City on Friday evening. ETSU faced off against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan at Cardinal Park.
In the first game the Buccaneers seemed to have everything under control. ETSU was up 5-2 going into the ninth inning.
Senior pitcher Steven Callcutt got into a tough situation as the Eagles loaded the bases in the ninth. Eastern Michigan University’s Aaron Powel knocked a grand slam off of Callcutt to give the Eagles a lead in the ninth inning. Callcutt eventually retired the side and the Bucs came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth down one score.
ETSU’s Michael Courtney would go yard in the ninth to tie the score at six all. Courtney sent the game into extra innings but the Bucs would not score again.
It took the EMU until the 13th inning to get the win. The Eagles were soaring high as they would bring around three runs in the 13th inning that the Bucs couldn’t match to win the decision 9-6.
In the second game of the double hitter Friday night the Bucs managed to ground the Eagles. Eastern Michigan was up in the fourth inning 3-1 before pre-season All-American Shane Byrne could tie the bout. Byrne smacked the ball up the middle to bring two runners safely home.
The Bucs would get another run before the top of the fifth to give ETSU the lead, 4-3.
The second game began to take on a scary resemblance to the first one as the Eagles tied the competition in the ninth at seven-all.
The Baseball Bucs didn’t want to let the Eagles fly away with the second decision.
With one man on base the Eagles intentionally walked two more Bucs to load the bases. Perhaps in order to avoid Byrne’s bat, but Blake Church wanted to ring EMU’s bell. With only one out and the bases loaded Church sent a pitch deep into center field.
John Weddle tagged third – there was a great throw from center but it wouldn’t be enough – he gave the Bucs the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Buccaneers won the second contest 8-7.
There was going to be a third game on Saturday but the tie-breaker was canceled due to inclement weather.

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