JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The ETSU baseball team earned a statement victory Tuesday night, knocking off ACC foe Virginia Tech, 9-4, at Thomas Stadium.

With the win, the Buccaneers improved to 17-6 overall and 14-1 at home, while securing their first victory over the Hokies since 2017.

ETSU’s offense was highlighted by multi-hit performances across the roster. Tristan Curless led the way, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs and two walks. Henry Ferguson added a 2-for-3 outing with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Nate Conner and Luke Matlock also tallied two hits apiece. Matlock added a solo home run in the fifth inning.

“We just got a lot of dogs out here and a lot of guys that love baseball, love coming out here every day, and just love getting better. It just feels good to get a good win,” said Johnson City native Nate Conner.

The Buccaneers broke the game open in the fifth inning behind an offensive surge. Curless launched a three-run homer, and Matlock followed with a solo shot to extend the lead to 7-2.

“I’ve only been here for two years, and they got the best of us the first three games,” Curless said. “But it really feels good to have them come in here, compete our butts off, and be able to get the win.”

On the mound, the Bucs used six pitchers to secure the win. Stratton Scott earned his second win of the season after tossing three shutout innings in relief, while Logan Grass closed the game with three scoreless frames to pick up the save.

Head coach Joe Pennucci felt the relief of finally shedding the 9-year losing streak.

“I mean we haven’t beat those guys. It felt like we had some kind of jinx or something,” Pennucci said. “But at least we got that off our shoulders.”

Pennucci also praised his team’s offensive production and composure in the batter’s box.

“I think if you score nine runs against anybody, if you’re playing Tech or Science Hill. If you score nine at the end, then somebody has to score ten, right? That’s hard to do,” he said. “If we can keep finding barrels and having good at-bats like we’ve done, I think our offense is coming together.”

ETSU will remain at home this weekend as the Buccaneers host VMI for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 5 p.m. at Thomas Stadium.

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