CULLOWHEE, N.C. (April 10, 2022) – The Bucs (20-8) returned to form as the baseball team swept a three-game series at Western Carolina over the weekend to bounce back from a three-game slide.
The Bucs, coming off of a 0-3 series at Baylor, had their midweek matchup against Appalachian State canceled due to inclement weather. This break gave the team a few extra days between the two series before hitting the road.
On Friday, April 8, the Bucs were able to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning after holding a 3-3 score since the fifth inning. It was off of the hit by Tommy Barth (Brecksville, Ohio) that sent Logen Sutton (Knoxville, Tennessee) in for a score to go up 4-3. Bryce Hodge (Knoxville, Tennessee) was able to hit Barth in during his at-bat to give the final score of 5-3.
Saturday saw a high-scoring game end 13-11 in another strong top of the ninth showing for the Bucs, who would earn four runs in the inning.
It was off of Jared Paladino’s (Levittown, New York) bat that would send Hodge in for his third run of the day to make the score 10-11. When Jackson Green (Blackwood, New Jersey) got to the plate, the Bucs had two runners on base ready to go. Green would homer to right field as he sent himself and the two other Bucs in to make the final score 13-11.
Sunday saw a seven-run inning for the Bucs early in the fourth inning of play. The game was heavily controlled by the Bucs from the first pitch with a final score of 20-10.
It was Bryce Hodge that would have a standout performance in the day’s game. His four at-bats saw three hits, four runs and five RBIs. It was this performance that made him a clear favorite for the SoCon Player of the Week that he would go on to earn.
The Bucs, still on an eleven-game road trip, are due to visit No. 25 Wofford this week for a three-game series, April 14-16. The first pitch on Thursday is expected at 6 p.m.
