GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T baseball team had a bullpen day on Tuesday in their 17-5 loss to East Tennessee State at War Memorial Stadium. The Aggies threw six pitchers who normally pitch in relief including sophomore outfielder Myles Sowell and sophomore third baseman Forest Kimbrell.

Junior right-hander K.J. McAlister (0-1) got his first career start for the Aggies. Sophomore RHP Jordan Virgil got the most work, going 3.2 innings, throwing 61 pitches and surrendering two runs. The Aggies were able rest a few other arms ahead of the MEAC-opening three-game series against North Carolina Central  March 12 (1 p.m. and 4 p.m.) and 13 (1 p.m.) at War Memorial Stadium.

Sophomore Milton Rivera and senior Ryan Jantsch continued to hit the ball well. Rivera went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Jantsch drove in a run while going 2-for-5. Rivera is 7-for-19 in his last four games, and Jantsch is 8-for-18 in his last four. In addition, Kyle Clary extended his hitting streak 10 by going 1-for-4.

The Buccaneers (7-5) got off to a fast start Tuesday, scoring 12 runs off nine hits and seven walks. Virgil did pitch 2.2 innings of scoreless relief before giving up two runs in the seventh. The Aggies (3-9) had their best inning in the eighth with four runs. Adan Ordonez's RBI single scored the first run of the inning as Rivera scored from second. Jantsch put runners on second and third with a double to left field. Junior Timothy Ravare then hit a line drive two-run RBI single to center to score Ordonez and Jantsch.

Clary doubled to put runners at second and third again, setting up Kimbrell's RBI sacrifice fly to center to score Ravare.

Second baseman Trey York led the Buccaneers by going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Catcher Hagen Owenby homered twice and was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Russell Koesters got the win for ETSU.