The ETSU baseball Bucs earned two wins over a very competitive UT Knoxville Baseball club in the same week.
ETSU is having a great baseball season. The Bucs set out to do something last week that hasn’t been done in a quarter of a century: sweep UT in a season series.
March 29 was the first match-up. Senior Shane Byrne broke a school record in that affair and now leads the Bucs in all-time hits. Byrne went 3-of-5 at the plate and scored a run in the away victory. Steve Calicutt, also a senior in the club, came in to pitch the last two innings. Calicutt would pitch a perfect final inning to protect the win for the Bucs in Knoxville.
Strangely something very similar would take place a week later in Johnson City.
The stands were full and the atmosphere perfect for baseball. The University of Tennessee came to Cardinal Park in Johnson City, April 5, to take on the East Tennessee State Baseball Buccaneers.
Knoxville got out to an early lead. The Vols scored three runs in the second inning. Josiah Glafenhein started the comeback when he knocked a double into right field during the third inning. All-American, Shane Byrne, would bring Glafenhein home when he doubled later in the inning. Blake Church wouldn’t leave Byrne on base. Blake rang the bell and got Byrne home safely before the third was done. It was Vols 3, ETSU 2 at the start of the fourth inning.
The Bucs dominated the fifth inning. A couple of misguided throws from the Volunteer defense put ETSU in position to score.
A wild pitch tied things up 3 all. C.J. Lee would make the Vols pay for their mistakes. Lee launched a two-run triple deep and gave the Bucs their first lead of the night, 5-3.
Knoxville’s Chris Kemp would keep things close. Kemp scored three times and knocked four Volunteers around to score. The outstanding senior was involved in all seven UT runs. The game was tied 7 all at the end of regulation.
ETSU would regain composure as Lee would find the gap again and bring Stephen Douglas home in extra innings to seal the deal for ETSU (8-7). Calicutt got the call again to close things out on the mound for the Bucs. Calicutt pitched three great innings earned the win and improves to 5-2 this season.

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