CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.- Appalachian State University softball (11-16, 4-4 SoCon) fell in a rain-shortened Southern Conference series to SoCon-leader Chattanooga (21-7, 5-0 SoCon), 9-0 and 13-2, both in five innings at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga on Sunday.
The Mountaineers and Mocs were set for a three-game series set to begin on Saturday, but rain forced the Sunday doubleheader instead.
Senior Hannah Dow only allowed one hit and a walk in the first inning, but in the second inning she allowed six runs off three hits.
Della Harrison started off the second with a solo home run down the left field line. Vivian Morimoto singled through the right side of the Mountaineer defense and Jessica Traxler walked to put runners on first and second for the Mocs. But runners advanced one more base off an illegal pitch from Dow. Lauren Flores walked in the next at-bat to load the bases up with no outs. Lyndsey Stiles grounded to Dow, allowing her to throw home to junior Michelle Lighton for the force out. Still with bases loaded, Sara Poteat hit a ball between junior Megan Rembielak and senior Morgan Price on the right side of the field, but Rembielak scooped up the ball and tagged first base on her own for the second out of the inning, but Traxler scored on the play. Michelle Fuzzard walked for the third Dow-issued walk of the inning and Tiffany Baker came up huge for Chattanooga with a grand slam over the left field fence to put the Mocs up, 6-0.
Two more Moc home runs in the third and fourth innings, closed the door on the Mountaineers.
Fuzzard did not allow a hit in the game until ASU's last at-bat when senior Sarah Rappe looped a ball into left field, but was thrown out trying to extend her single into a double for the final out of the game.
The Mountaineers fell, 9-0.
Dow only allowed four hits, but recorded the loss to move her record to 4-4. She struck out one and walked four. All six of her runs were earned. Junior Caitlin Wainright, who came in relief in the third, allowed three hits, three earned runs, while striking out two and walking one.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Apps got on the board first. Senior Katie Boyd hit a shot to third base at Baker, but she was able to hold on to hit for the first out. Rembielak singled to Baker in the next at-bat, but a throwing error by Baker allowed Rembielak to motor all the way around to third base. Sophomore Meghan Smith singled up the middle, bringing home Rembielak for the only run of the frame. Back-to-back outs ended the inning for ASU.
In the bottom half of the stanza, the Mocs plated all the runs they needed to defeat Appalachian. Mountaineer miscues were the cause of the continuation of the inning, but timely hitting by Chattanooga did not help.
The other Black and Gold run was tallied after Boyd led off the third with a home run to left field, with the Mocs taking the game, 13-2.
Sophomore Louise Gibson (4-4) was charged with the loss after she gave up 12 runs off eight hits, with only three being earned. She also walked two in two-thirds of an inning. Dow relieved Gibson and went 3.1 innings, giving up three hits, and striking out one in her appearance.
Boyd, Rembielak, Smith and sophomore Sheridan Phillips, who doubled down the left field line in the fourth, provided all four of ASU's hits.
Appalachian has a short week, returning to the diamond on Wednesday (Mar. 30) for a doubleheader against East Tennessee State, beginning at 5 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn.
