JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Bucs needed nearly every at-bat on Sunday afternoon to secure a 3-2 victory over Toledo in Thomas Stadium.
Noah Gent opened the scoring for the Blue and Gold in the third inning, singling up the middle to score Jackson Green.
The Rockets tied things up in the fourth with a big solo home run swing from Scott Mackiewicz. But, the Bucs didn’t wait long to put pressure on the visitors. With the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning, a wild pitch allowed Cameron Sisneros to score and push ETSU ahead, 2-1.
Toledo used the long ball to draw even, once again, as Daunte DeCello went deep to left to level the score, 2-2.
It was an Ashton King single up the middle in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference for the Bucs, scoring Tommy Barth and earning a series win.
The top five batters in the ETSU order accounted for all seven hits on Sunday afternoon. Barth, Sisneros and King each notched a pair of base knocks in the victory.
Nathaniel Tate pitched 5.0 innings of one-hit baseball, allowing just one hit and one run while striking out eight batters. It was Andrew Cotten that picked up the win for ETSU, however, hurling a hitless 1.1 innings to close the game.
The Bucs (2-1) have now won seven-consecutive season-opening series.
ETSU will face No. 14 Virginia Tech in a single game on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch from Blacksburg is slated for 1:30 p.m.
