BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State softball hits the road to play Norfolk State with back-to-back doubleheaders on March 5-6. The Mountaineers are coming off of a two-game winning streak after sweeping Tennessee Tech in the home opener. They look to come home with four more wins, which would bring their overall record to 10-10.
Last season the Mountaineers took on the Spartans twice in the Camel Stampede at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. In the first game, App State won 10-0.
Ally Walters,
Sidney Russell,
Haley Stewart and
Jenny Dodd each had two hits apiece while
Keri White had one hit.
Annaleise Kennedy earned the win for the Mountaineers.
In the second game against the Spartans, Norfolk State won 3-1 with all three of their runs being scored in the top of the first inning on three singles and a double. The Mountaineers scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo home run from
Natalie Orcutt.
Scouting the Spartans
Norfolk State is 8-7 so far this season. Six of their wins have been against South Carolina State, three in the Tiger Classic in Savannah, Ga. and three in the Spartan Classic in Norfolk, Va. The Spartans were 0-4 on March 3-4 in the Winthrop Invitational with losses to Sacred Heart, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky and Winthrop.
Kylee Lopez, a junior catcher, leads the Spartans in home runs this season with five, providing 18 RBIs and a .413 batting average. Shelby DesChamps, a junior outfielder, maintains the highest batting average, batting .488 with 21 hits. Meaghan Barfield has 16 RBIs on 12 hits for the Spartan offense.
The Spartans have five right-handed pitchers on their staff this season. Skylar Swain leads them all with a 1.66 ERA in 25-1/3 innings pitched for a 4-2 record. Hunter Halford has pitched 36-2/3 innings with a 2.67 ERA and a 2-4 record. Swain and Halford lead the staff in innings pitched and ERA.
