JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Bucs clamped down on Mercer for a 2-0 win in one final game at Betty Basler Field on Sunday morning.
ETSU needed just one swing of the bat to do all the damage required, as Riley Nayadley’s single in the third inning drove in the only two runs of the day.
In the circle, Blue and Gold senior Brianna Bailey pitched a complete game gem. She allowed just five hits in a shutout performance, this just a day after pitching 12 innings in a Saturday win.
“I want the ball,” she said after the game. “I want to throw – this is it for me. As much as I can, I want to throw.”
“I think she had one of her best weekends thus far,” head coach Cheryl Milligan said. “Pitching with confidence, for sure, right now.”
On the offensive end, Cameron Young finished the day with a pair of hits, as did Makenzie Henderson.
The win sees ETSU finish with a regular season record of 15-35, with six of those wins coming in the SoCon.
“You know, it has been a growth season – we’re going through a lot of changes, a lot of movement around the lineup,” Milligan said. “I think we’re – maybe – this is a good indication that we’re starting the gel a little bit.”
“It felt really good, especially for us as a team,” Bailey said. “We’ve played a lot of good games and it doesn’t show with our record. So, to end the SoCon on a good note was nice.”
The Bucs will be the No. 7 seed in the 2023 SoCon Softball Tournament. They will face No. 2 seed Samford at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
