On Feb. 27, ETSU baseball hosted a doubleheader matchup against UNC Asheville after thrashing the Bulldogs 9-1 just a day prior.
The night concluded with two back-to-back wins for the Bucs, as Brady Jones (Woodstock, Georgia) and Zach Kirby (Upland, California) managed to grab their first pitching victories of the year.
In the first game, the Bucs fell behind early in the first inning but quickly countered with an Ethan Cady (Soddy Daisy, Tennessee) single to right field, tying the game 1-1.
Cady, a veteran on the 2021 team, was able to find contact for majority of both games. He believes that his successful Saturday showing should result in more of the same as the season continues.
“I believe that this will be a great momentum booster at the plate for the upcoming midweek and weekend series,” said Cady. “I just have to take each plate appearance one at a time and stay with the approach.”
The following innings showcased a back and forth brawl, but the fight would eventually become too much to handle for the Bulldogs after a Markell Graham (Atlanta, Georgia) home run, giving the Bucs a 6-3 game-one victory.
Game two began to mirror the previous bout, as neither team could pull away or find much offensive prowess. That would soon change after a Kyle Richardson (Zionsville, Indiana) homer, pushing ETSU to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Entering the eighth inning, ETSU touted a firm 4-2 grasp on UNC Asheville, but remained focused on tallying more runs — which they did.
Bryce Hodge’s (Knoxville, Tennessee) home run to right field soured the Bulldogs’ chance of a comeback. ETSU would later complete the trifecta, winning 6-2 to end the night, the team’s third win over UNC Asheville in two days.
“It was a great team weekend and the best part was the team energy in the dugout,” said Cady. “That allowed us as a team to stay loose and play to our ability.”
Head coach Joe Pennucci felt much of the same, adding an emphasis on his team’s pitching efforts during the three game stretch.
“I thought our bullpen pitched really well,” said Pennucci. “Today, our starters went a little shorter than they did last weekend, but our bullpen really carried us and did a good job.”
The 5-2 Bucs are second in the Southern Conference after winning three straight games, but they have plenty of opportunities to slide into the winner’s slot with a multitude of contests coming up.
Cady currently leads the team in batting with a .346 average and nine hits, while Hunter Loyd (Knoxville, Tennessee) has tallied the most strikeouts on the Bucs roster with 16.
ETSU’s defense has certainly emerged to be the team’s true identity thus far, as the Bucs tout the number one pitching and fielding squad within the SoCon.
The Bucs will enjoy their back-to-back-to back wins over the Bulldogs until they play the Power-5 Clemson Tigers on March 2.
“It’s been a tough turnaround for the guys [playing doubleheader],” said Pennucci. “It’s tough on their bodies, but you have to continue playing one pitch at a time on any given time.”
