The ETSU softball season officially began on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. The Bucs would travel to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, to take part in the Runnin’ Bulldog Classic.
Competing in a double header, the first game would see the Bucs fall short 6-2 against the Youngstown State Penguins of the Horizon League. In the second and final game on opening day, the Bucs would be thwarted 13-5 against the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs of the Big South Conference.
During the first game against the Penguins, the Bucs would quickly secure a 2-0 lead throughout the first three innings of play.
Despite this, the remaining six innings would prove to be a challenge for the Bucs. The Penguins were able to score six unanswered runs to rally back from behind, in a 6-2 winning effort.
The two runs scored by the Bucs came from a sacrificed RBI by first-year students, Cameron Lauretta (Las Vegas, Nev.), and sophomore Brylee Mesusan (Johnson City, Tenn.) with an RBI groundout in the third inning.
The second game of the double header against Gardner-Webb would see the Bucs continue to struggle. Falling behind early 2-0, the softball team was able to rally back 3-2 with an early inning three-run play.
The game would prove to be a back-and-forth affair, as the Bucs would gain a 5-4 advantage over the Bulldogs in part thanks to sophomore, Taylor Suchy (Sterling, Va.) making her way to home-plate on a passed ball, while sophomore Makenzie Henderson (Knoxville, Tenn.) would dash to home plate on a wild pitch from the Bulldogs.
Despite the seesaw scoring event, Gardner-Webb would come to life in the latter half of the softball game. The Bulldogs were able to capture an astounding seven runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth inning, respectfully. Ending the game in a losing effort for the neutral site Buccaneers 13-5.
Despite the opening day losses, ETSU Softball has more than enough time to build and improve. First-year Head Coach, Cheryl Milligan brings many years of success to the rebuilding and young team all around. This season will prove to be a challenge, but nonetheless a fun and exciting one.
For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit ETSUBucs.com.
