JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Wofford baseball team opened its conference series at ETSU on a high note, notching 21 hits at Thomas Stadium en route to an 11-6 triumph over the Buccaneers Thursday evening. The Terriers improve to 21-7 (3-1 SoCon), and the Bucs fall to 13-14 (1-3 SoCon).
Wofford starter Matthew Marchal (5-1) earned the win after tossing 6.0 innings with three runs allowed on eight hits. He walked only one batter and struck out a pair. Luke Stephens (2) closed the contest, hurling the final 2.2 frames and surrendering two runs on six hits to earn the save. He, too, struck out two batters.
ETSU starter Landon Smiddy (3-4) was handed the loss after giving up six runs on 10 hits and three walks.
All nine Terriers in the starting lineup recorded a hit, and six of them recorded multiple base knocks. Trey Yunger paced the squad with a career-high five hits, adding an RBI. He finished just one hit shy of the single-game program record and is the first Terrier to tally five hits in a game since that six-hit record was set on April 16, 2021 by Nolen Hester. Yunger finished just a home run shy of the cycle.
David Wiley totaled four hits, and Jack Renwick notched three with a pair of runs driven in. Ryan Galanie brought home three runs on two hits. Brice Martinez and Gunnar Johnson round out the multi-hit performers with two each. Cameron Gill added two RBI with one hit. The 21 total hits for Wofford are a new season high.
Gunnar Johnson opened the scoring in the top of the second with a single up the middle that plated David Wiley, giving the Terriers an early 1-0 edge.
But ETSU responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-run single, claiming a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Wofford regained the advantage with its own two-run single. Ryan Galanie came up with a knock through the left side to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead.
Wofford added three more in the top of the fifth. With two runners on, Jack Renwick tripled into the right center gap, pushing both runners across. Marshall Toole then brought Renwick home with a bunt single, extending the margin to 6-2.
The Terriers tacked on two more in the top of the sixth. Cameron Gill’s two-run single back up the middle made the score 8-2 for Wofford.
ETSU got a run back in the sixth with a bases-loaded single, but Matthew Marchal struck out the next batter to limit the damage and keep the new score at 8-3.
Wofford claimed another run in the seventh when Renwick scored from third on a fielding error. The Terriers led 9-3.
The Bucs added a run with a single in the bottom of the seventh, but Luke Stephens came in to work out of the bases-loaded jam and keep the damage minimal. The score was 9-4.
ETSU chipped away some more with another RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the margin to 9-5.
Wofford added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to hinder ETSU’s comeback push. Trey Yunger tripled home a run, and Dixon Black singled to bring him home, making the score 11-5.
The Bucs still gave an effort, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth. And though they grabbed a run, Stephens induced a double play and a groundout to get out of the jam and ice the contest for an 11-6 Wofford win.
The squads will continue the series with game two tomorrow evening at 5:00 p.m.
