The Bulldogs opened with a blowout, but the Bucs answered with back-to-back close wins to claim their third straight SoCon series
ETSU’s trip to Samford opened with a Bulldog blowout in Game 1, but the Buccaneers battled back to win the final two games in tight, high-leverage moments. ETSU erased a late deficit in Game 2 to win in 10 innings, then held off one final Samford push in Game 3 to secure its third straight SoCon series win. For Samford, the loss marked its second straight conference series defeat, and the Bulldogs will host VMI this weekend. ETSU, meanwhile, steps out of conference for a weekend series at Belmont.
Game 1: Samford 13, ETSU 7
After a scoreless first inning, Samford blew the game open with six runs in the second. Pierce Dutton started the rally with an RBI single, Jeffrey Ince drew a bases-loaded walk, Gus Gandy scored on a wild pitch, Jake Souders also walked with the bases loaded, Trey Higgins reached on a fielder’s choice to bring in another run, and Parker McDonald capped the inning with yet another bases-loaded walk.
ETSU answered with its first run in the third on an RBI single from Tristian Curless, but Samford kept pressure on the Bucs. Higgins singled in Dutton in the bottom of the third to make it 7-1, and although ETSU chipped away with three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth, Samford answered each push.
The Bucs trimmed the margin to 7-4 on a three-run fifth featuring an infield hit from Henry Ferguson and a double from Jamie Palmese, then closed to 8-7 in the sixth on an RBI double by Nate Conner and a two-run single from Ferguson. Samford responded immediately with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a Dutton RBI single, a bases-loaded walk to Cade Carr, and a sacrifice fly from Higgins. The Bulldogs added two insurance runs in the eighth to put the game away.
Game 2: ETSU 4, Samford 3
ETSU struck first in Game 2 when Nate Conner opened with a solo home run, but after the early ambush, Samford starter Mason Blasche settled in and worked five strong innings, allowing just that lone run while striking out six. The Bulldogs eventually surged ahead in the seventh behind a pair of run-scoring singles, as Jake Souders singled in Jeffrey Ince to tie the game and Parker McDonald later singled to bring in Souders and Cade Carr for a 3-1 lead.
The Bucs answered in the eighth. Axel Melendez drove in a run with a groundout, then Jamie Palmese scored the tying run on a passed ball to even the game at 3-3. Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the contest to extras.
In the tenth, Melendez sparked the decisive rally with a single, stole second, and moved ahead when Gabe Juarez drew a walk. Mason Ault then executed a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and Ian Guanzon followed with an RBI groundout to put ETSU back in front. Evan Rolison, who had entered in the ninth with runners aboard, retired Samford in order in the bottom of the tenth to seal the 4-3 win.
Game 3: ETSU 6, Samford 4
Samford again came out fast, taking a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second innings. Trey Higgins singled in Jake Souders in the first, and in the second Gus Gandy scored from third when Jeffrey Ince flied into a double play.
ETSU answered in the fifth when Nate Conner doubled in Mason Ault. Henry Ferguson then tied the game with an RBI groundout, and Tristian Curless followed with an RBI single to give the Bucs their first lead. ETSU added another run in the sixth on a string of three consecutive singles, with Ault’s base hit bringing in Tyler Fetterman.
Samford clawed back to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh after Higgins and Gandy both scored on ETSU errors, but the Bucs regained control in the next half-inning. Ferguson led off the seventh with a double and later scored to put ETSU back ahead. In the eighth, Fetterman walked and Ian Guanzon was hit by a pitch before Ault laid down a sacrifice bunt, leading to a sacrifice fly from Luke Matlock that extended the lead to 6-4.
Samford brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after a Pierce Dutton double, but Curless closed the door by striking out the final two hitters to preserve the series-clinching win.
