CULLOWHEE, N.C.- Senior Katie Boyd slammed her fourth first-inning, leadoff home run of the season and 41st of her career to set the pace for Appalachian State University softball (15-17, 8-5 SoCon) to run rule Western Carolina (18-25, 3-12 SoCon), 12-0 in five innings, on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Catamount Softball Complex in Cullowhee, N.C.
After Boyd's seventh homer of the season, junior Megan Rembielak and sophomore Meghan Smith were put out, but sophomore Allie Cashion singled to right field. Senior Hannah Dow doubled to left field, but sophomore Sheridan Phillips struck out swinging to end the inning.
WCU's Jordan Fulton and Sara Spencer led off the bottom of the first by grounding out to senior McKenzie Phillips at shortstop, but Haley Pace broke through with Western Carolina's first hit of the game to shortstop. Morgan Wyatt ended the inning by flying out to senior Sarah Rappe in center field.
Junior Michelle Lighton kept ASU's hits coming in the second inning by singling back up the middle of the Catamount defense. M. Phillips tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but reached on an error by Spencer, an additional throw allowed Lighton to motor around to third base. Rappe confused WCU's defense and reached on the fielder's choice to load the bases for Boyd. Boyd singled to center field for her second hit of the day, bringing around Lighton and M. Phillips to score. Rembielak reached on another Catamount miscue and advanced to second on a throw as Rappe was crossing home. This caused WCU head coach Christine Homak to move Katie King to the pitcher's circle and send Amber Steinhardt to first base. King recorded back-to-back strikeouts against the Mountaineers in as many at bats. Dow reached on a WCU miscue by Makenzi McAteer at third base, allowing Boyd to score and Rembielak to move over to third. S. Phillips ended the stanza by popping up to shortstop, but not before ASU recorded four more runs to build its lead to 5-0.
Western Carolina's Shemekia Scotton walked to lead off the second, but she was the only base runner that Dow allowed in the inning, as she sat down the side afterward, capped off by striking out Amelia Griffin looking at strike three.
Lighton repeated her feat from the second inning in the third by singling through the left side to leadoff the inning. Following a strikeout, Rappe reached on another fielder's choice. Boyd reached on a fielder's choice, too, but Rappe was put out at second, placing Lighton and Boyd at third and first, respectively briefly. While trying to throw Lighton out at third, the Catamount defense committed another error, letting Lighton score and Boyd to move over to third. Rembielak then walked and Smith tripled off the right field fence to score Rembielak, extending Appalachian's run total to 8-0.
After neither team put up any runs in the fourth, ASU turned on the run production in the fifth.
M. Phillips struck out to open the fifth inning, but junior Lindsay Whitlock came in to pinch hit for Rappe and reached on an error. Rappe came back in to run and stole second on the first chance that she got for her team-leading 14th stolen base of the season. Boyd singled through the left side for her third hit of the afternoon, scoring Rappe, while advancing to second on a throw to attempt to get Rappe. Rembielak singled in the next Mountaineer at bat, advancing Boyd to third. Smith singled to right field, picking up a RBI for Boyd scoring and moving Rembielak to second. Cashion continued the hits by singling to shortstop to load the bases for Appalachian. Dow struck out swinging, but S. Phillips singled to left field and more Apps crossed home to cap off the four-run inning.
The Catamounts were not able to counter any of ASU's runs in the bottom half of the fifth as Dow completed the five-hit shutout of the Catamounts to pick up her seventh win of the season.
Dow (7-4) walked two and struck out three in her appearance, while Steinhardt (9-9) was charged with the loss.
Boyd's three-hit, four-RBI performance led Appalachian offensively, while Smith, Cashion and Lighton chipped in two. Smith also added three RBIs to the tally.
The Mountaineers have a quick turnaround as they prepare to travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to take on University of Tennessee on Wednesday (Apr. 13) at 6 p.m.
