Coming into two fall games this past Sunday, Sept. 18, the ETSU softball team is coming off a 20-22 record season last year.
At 1 p.m. they faced off against Montreat College. Last season Montreat college finished their season 7-41.
For the Bucs, their offense was solid, scoring 12 runs. The Bucs defense wasn’t at its best but kept them ahead allowing five runs, which allowed the offense to establish a nice rhythm and kept up the intensity.
“Defense has a ways to go,” said head coach Brad Irwin. “We made some throws we should’ve held on to.”
The Bucs certainly had players that put on a good showing. Freshman Nikki Grupp (Jacksonville,FL) went 3-4 with two home runs and a double, a nice start for her freshman year. Junior Kelsey Smith (Tucson, AZ) went 2-4 and senior Taylor Carter (Brazil, Ind.) went 2-4 as well.
“I thought we played well with the limited practice time we’ve had the offense looked good,” Irwin said. “We did a good job of putting runners in scoring position.”
Game two for the Bucs started at 3 p.m. against Appalachian St., who finished their past season with a record of 11-45. Much like the first game, the Buccaneers had no problem scoring. The Bucs were able to score seven runs. This game the team held their opponents to only one run.
“Madison Ogle pitched well, throwing a wet ball,” Irwin said. “Only run she gave up came from a home run,”
Carter was able to bring a huge spark, hitting a grand slam.
The game was called in the sixth inning due to wet field conditions, so the score was reverted back to the end of the fifth inning.
“Proud of the way we played despite the tough conditions,” Irwin said. “We didn’t make excuses even when it rained. For our upcoming game, I want to see improvement on defense and play smart.”
This fall season, the Bucs bring in a team full of upperclassmen. They will face off against Milligan at 5 p.m. Sept. 22 at home.
