The ETSU baseball team started sluggishly in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader versus Belmont and could not recover in either, dropping the two contests 16-9 and 11-7.
The Bucs (17-12, 6-4 A-Sun) fell begind 7-0 after two innings in the day’s first game, and trailed 14-3 after the Bruins hung seven runs in the sixth.
ETSU mounted a late-inning rally with the help of a solo homer by senior Blake Church and two home runs from senior outfielder Shane Byrne, outscoring Belmont 6-2 over the last three innings, but the rally fell short in the 16-9 defeat.
Junior Ryan Howe fell to 2-2 on the year, throwing one inning and surrendering seven runs on six hits.
Charles Lee upped his record to 3-4 despite giving up 13 hits and eight runs in seven innings of work.
In the nightcap, the Bruins (13-14, 4-7) scored five runs over the first three innings and held off a late Buccaneer rally for the 11-7 victory. Trailing 11-3 entering the ninth inning, the Bucs plated four runs to cut the deficit to four; the last two runs coming on junior Stephen Douglas’ two-run blast to right-center field, his fourth of the season.
Eric Diaz came in to record the final two outs, and cement the Bruins win.
Freshman starter Trey Sheffield lasted 1 2/3 innings, and surrendered four runs on six hits, falling to 0-2 on the season.
Bruin starter Josh Moffitt (3-1) held the Bucs to three runs over six innings while striking out six.
Byrne finished the day 5-for-10 with four runs scored and five R.B.I., while senior Matt Traylor continued his hot hitting of late, also going 5-for-10 with two runs scored and an RBI.
The ETSU baseball squad erased a five-run deficit in the eighth inning to enter the final frame tied at 13, but back-to-back Belmont homers in the top half stymied the Buccaneer momentum, and the Bruins held off the Bucs last gasp in the ninth for a 15-14 Atlantic Sun Conference victory Sunday afternoon at Cardinal Park.
Junior left fielder C.J. Lee started the rally with a one-out, two-run blast off the right field foul pole to cut what had been a 13-8 Bruin lead to 13-10. After a fly out, four straight Bucs reached, started by sophomore catcher Bubba Herbold’s single to center.
Senior Josiah Glafenhein plated pinch runner Jacob Fabry with a double to the gap in right-center field, and came around to score when first baseman Derek Wiley muffed a throw from shortstop Aaron Lautman. Senior outfielder and pitcher Byrne drove in the equalizing run with a single to left field.
Senior closer Steven Calicutt retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth, but center fielder Kane Simmons and right fielder Wilson Tucker delivered consecutive homers, with Tucker’s proving to be the game-winner.
Senior Blake Church cut the lead to one with a lead-off homer in the Bucs half of the ninth, and ETSU put runners on first and second with just one out in the inning, but Belmont closer Chris Manning entered the game and slammed the door on the Buccaneer rally for his sixth save of the season.
Lee, who had been struggling from the plate, broke out of his slump in a big way, ending the day 5-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.
Church finished the day 3-for-5 with four RBI, continuing his hot hitting of late, and Byrne also went 3-for-5, driving in two Buccaneer runs.
Calicutt retired nine straight hitters after entering the game in the sixth inning, but took the loss, falling to 4-2.
Eric Diaz picked up the win in relief of starter Carlo Testa, for his first win of the season.
The Bucs (17-13, 6-6) are back at home Wednesday, April 5 with a 7 p.m. tilt against their in state rivals from Knoxville the Volunteers from the University of Tennessee.

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