The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) baseball team swept a doubleheader against Bradley on March 14 at Thomas Stadium. ETSU won the first game in seven innings with a score of 15-2 and secured the second game with a 10-3 victory, improving their overall record to 13-5 this spring.
The wins clinched the series for the Buccaneers and highlighted strong performances both offensively and defensively. In the first game, ETSU scored at least two runs in all but one inning they batted, reaching 15 runs for the third time this season. The pitching staff allowed only two unearned runs and stranded eleven Bradley runners on base.
Offensively, ETSU collected eleven hits—including four extra-base hits—and drew eleven walks in game one. Several players contributed multiple hits and runs batted in, while Harpster pitched five innings without allowing an earned run, striking out six batters. Two relievers made their season debuts with scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.
In game two, ETSU’s offense was productive during the middle innings, scoring ten runs for the eighth time this season and for the fourth consecutive game. The pitching staff recorded a season-high sixteen strikeouts across four pitchers. Ferguson and Melendez each had another two-hit, two-RBI performance, while other players added support from lower in the batting order. Jones started his second game of the season with over four shutout innings and eight strikeouts; he has now begun his career at ETSU with more than twelve scoreless innings.
ETSU will aim to sweep the series against Bradley in the final game scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Thomas Stadium.
