ETSU Lady Bucs opened up their Atlantic Sun Conference home stand against the Stetson Hatters and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. ETSU split the games winning 2-1 and 4-1 against Stetson and losing 5-4 and 11-7 Against the Eagles. ETSU played Stetson first and played strong defense in the game while struggling to bat for the first part of game one.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Jordan Cleghorn hit a driving ball that drove in Grace Turner.

Then two failed steals, one at home, ended the inning with only one run.

The game remained at 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh when Sam Lower bunted the ball driving in Katy Jett for a tie game.

An interference call ended the inning tied sending the game into extra innings.

The game stayed tied until the 10th inning when Stetson looked to score on a long fly ball to the fence but Lucy Schneider somehow got underneath the ball ending the inning.

“I wasn’t sure I had the ball,” said Lucy Schneider, “I just went all out.”

The Lady Bucs came out with a vengeance in the bottom of the 10th when Lucy Schneider hit a line drive up the middle driving in Tara Hartnett for the 2-1 win.

Game two had a strong start for the Lady Bucs as Katy Jett drove in Lucy Schneider in the bottom of the first 1-0 ETSU, and after a strikeout the inning ended.

In the bottom of the fifth ETSU put up another run when Lucy Schneider hit a base run driving in Cheniece Cason 2-0 ETSU and after adding two more in the sixth giving ETSU a 4-0 lead the game was all but over.

Stetson’s last chance to score came in the seventh when Rachel Lowe hit a long ball driving in Brittany Knipp but the deficit was too large and ETSU took the series.

“We really wanted to get hot at the right time,” said coach Andrea Mangrum.

ETSU didn’t carry the momentum over into the next series against the Eagles losing both games. Game one saw action from the beginning with ETSU scoring in the first inning and the Eagles answering right back to tie the game at 1-1.

ETSU took back the lead when Katy Henderson blasted the ball deep over the fence for a three-run home run but again Stetson answered back with two runs of it own giving the Lady Bucs a slight 4-3 lead.

Unfortunately the Lady Bucs couldn’t finish the game and allowed FGCU back into the game in the seventh when Hayley O’Mara hit a two-run home run that put the Eagles up 5-4 a lead the Eagles kept for the win.

Game two saw the Eagles really heat up with five runs in the first inning on a walked runner coming in and a grand slam.

ETSU put up a single run in the bottom of the first when Katy Jett was walked and subsequently stole all the bases for a run, 5-1 FGCU. The Eagles weren’t done yet in the top of the second when Courtney Patt hit a three-run home for an 8-1 lead and another single home run by Mariah Fernandez giving FGCU a 9-1 lead. Adding to these lead the Eagles scored two more in the top of the fourth.

ETSU didn’t roll over though and answered with three of its own in the bottom of the fourth when ETSU loaded the bases and kept hitting in runner after runner 11-4 Eagles.

The last points came in the bottom of the seventh when Katie Henderson hit a two run home run and a base hit by Arielle Garner drove in Annie Martin 11-7 Eagles but ETSU couldn’t overcome the Eagles and lose the series to them.

“It makes us have to fight,” Coach Andrea said, “We need to keep the consistency going.” ETSU improves to 3-5 in the A-Sun and 16-23 overall and goes on the road before returning to face Mercer.

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