Saturday, March 27, 2010

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 27, 2010) – The ETSU baseball team got stellar outings from pitchers Scott McNally (Marietta, Ga.) and Ben Booker (Knoxville, Tenn.) as the Bucs swept the doubleheader Saturday against the Bisons at Dugan Field in Nashville, Tenn.
 
The Bucs (16-5, 5-1 A-Sun) took game one of the doubleheader 15-6 powered by a 3-for-5 performance by centerfielder Matthew Scruggs (Knoxville, Tenn.). McNally earned the win throwing 6.0 scoreless innings of relief scattering three hits with two strikeouts to go to 4-0 on the year.
 
Booker got a complete game win, 6-3, in game two as he limited the Bisons (7-17, 2-4 A-sun) to three runs on six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts to improve to 3-0.
 
With the two wins, the Bucs are off to the best start in school history through 20 games, and are in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun. ETSU is also a perfect 5-0 in weekend series.
 
Offensively ETSU was led by first baseman Paul Hoilman (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Scruggs as they each had four hits on the day. The Bucs saw all ten batters used in the doubleheader drive in at least one run.
 
In the first game, Trent sent his second home run of the series and sixth of the year over the fence in right for a solo home run in the top of the second to give the Buccaneers a 1-0 lead.

LIPSCOMB'S FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP

Smith Strikes out 15 in Complete Game Win

Lipscomb senior right-hander Josh Smith struck out a career-high 15 batters Friday night in a 9-4 win over Atlantic Sun foe East Tennessee State at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen L. Marsh Stadium.

Smith, 4-1, threw the first complete game of the season for the Bisons. He gave up five hits and four runs.

Smith's strike out total was the highest in the past four seasons for the Bisons. Rex Brothers struck out 14 April 10 against North Florida last season.

“The story of the game is Josh,” Lipscomb coach Jeff Forehand said. “He came out and gave us a solid performance. We didn’t have to go to our bullpen. That’s a huge plus.

“That’s what we expect from him. Our players have confidence in Josh. We will keep going to him.”

The Bisons spotted ETSU a run in the first inning, but came back to take a 2-1 lead in the third.

“We made some mistakes and let them in the door in the first inning,” Forehand said.

They added six runs in the fourth, highlighted by a two-RBI triple to right center by Kyle Henry and a three-RBI inside the park home run by Zach Messer. The Bisons also capitalized on four ETSU errors, three in the fourth.

ETSU added two more in the eight. The Bisons answered with one.

“It was at twilight,” Forehand said. “Zach got it deep in the gap and they really didn’t react until they heard it hit. We had two outs. The gamble of trying to score right there wasn’t too big. It turned out not to be that close of a play.”

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