JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – In the series finale on Sunday afternoon, Wofford College baseball team hit four home runs to defeat East Tennessee State 11-8 at Thomas Stadium. With a 5-3 lead after five innings, the Terriers added four runs in the top of the seventh inning and two in the ninth. The Bucs scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Terriers held on for the series win.
                    
Wofford is 24-20 on the season and 9-6 in the Southern Conference. ETSU is 20-22 overall and 3-12 in league play. The Terriers won the weekend series against the Bucs, which included a total of ten home runs in the three games for Wofford. The Terriers were led by Mack Nathanson with three hits and four RBIs, while Kody Ruedisili added three hits and a pair of RBIs. Cullen Smith led the Buc with two hits and three RBIs.
 
Kody Ruedisili opened the game with a single through the left side, but a fielder's choice and double play ended the top half of the first. The Bucs had a single in the bottom of the first, but the runner was left on base. Carson Waln singled through the right side to lead off the second inning and Mack Nathanson followed with a single. Reed Massey then hit his fourth home run of the season, clearing the fence in left center, giving the Terriers a 3-0 lead.
 
The Bucs got one run back when Caleb Longley hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Two runners were left in scoring position to end the second frame. Wofford was retired in order in the top of the third inning. With two outs in the bottom of the third, the Bucs drew back-to-back walks before a ground out ended the inning. Carson Waln walked to begin the fourth inning and Mack Nathanson reached on an error. A walk to Max McDougald with one out loaded the bases and a ground out by Stone Pellegrino drove in a run for a 4-1 score.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bucs led off with a walk. A single with two outs put runners on the corners, but a strikeout ended the inning. Kody Ruedisili started the fifth inning with a single. After a double play, Brett Hash hit a solo home run over the fence in right field. Wofford took a 5-1 lead on Hash's 11^th home run of the season. The Bucs walked to start the fifth inning and then Christian Bailey drove a ball out of the park to cut the lead to 5-3.
 
Both teams were retired in order in the sixth inning. Dylan May singled to open the seventh inning and Brett Rodriguez entered the game to pinch run. On a sacrifice bunt by Alex Malsch, Rodriguez went to third base. Kody Ruedisili then hit his fourth home run of the season, just inside the right field foul pole, to give the Terriers a 7-3 advantage. McClain Bradley walked and Brett Hash reached on a fielder's choice. A single by Carson Waln put runners on the corners and a double by Mack Nathanson to right center drove in both runners for a 9-3 lead. The Bucs went in order on just five pitches to end the seventh inning.
 
The Terriers left one runner on base in the top of the eighth inning. A single opened the bottom of the eighth for the Bucs and added a single with one out, but a double play ended the frame. Carson Waln walked with two outs in the top of the ninth and then Mack Nathanson hit a home run over the fence in left center. Wofford had an 11-3 lead on the tenth homer of the season by Nathanson. In the bottom of the ninth with one out, the Bucs had back-to-back singles. A ground ball advanced the runners and a walk loaded the bases. A triple with two outs to right center by Cullen Smith cleared the bases and made it an 11-6 game. A balk scored Smith to make it 11-7 and a solo home run by Blake Rowlett cut the lead to 11-8 before a strikeout ended the game.
 
Austin Higginbotham (4-4) started for the Terriers and threw 7.1 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking five batters. Merritt Huber recorded two outs on two pitches in the eighth inning. Jordan Accetta went two-thirds of an inning with four runs allowed on three hits. Cole Bradley gave up one run and Matt Ellmyer struck out one batter to end the game.
 
ETSU starter Jamin McCann (3-1) went four innings with four runs allowed on four hits, along with one strikeout. Griffin Krieg threw two innings and allowed one run on two hits. Dillon Cate went a third of an inning with three runs allowed on two hits. Peyton Taylor added a third of an inning with one run scored on two hits. Logan Gentry went one and a third innings with on hit allowed. Russell Koesters allowed two runs on one hit in the ninth inning.
 
Wofford will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina on Wednesday night, then begin a three-game series at Western Carolina on Friday night. The Terriers only have two home dates remaining, a single game on May 12 and a doubleheader on May 14, against Mercer.