ROCK HILL, S.C. – Appalachian State University softball moved to an above .500 record for the first time since the 2013 season with two wins with a 9-0 run-rule victory over Wagner and then a 13-7 beating of Austin Peay.
Game One: App State 9, Wagner 0 F/5
The Mountaineers (8-7) put a lead foot on the gas pedal on Saturday and never let up. App State put up two runs in the first off of a Haley Stewart two-run double to center field to take an early lead.
Later in the third inning, Cara Parker tripled in a run and then was brought home by Heather Josey RBI double. Tiffany Taynor then singled through the right side to drive in Josey. It was Taynor's first career start and RBI.
With a commanding 5-0 advantage, the Apps put up a four run fourth inning to put the run-rule in effect. Following singles from Dani Heichen and Sarah Warnock and a walk from Stewart, Ashley Seering singled on a smoked ball to the wall in center.
Caroline Chambers drew a walk with the bases loaded and then Josey singled to right field to drive in two more runs.
Vanessa Ciocatto pitched a complete game three-hit shutout. It was the first complete game shutout and third win for Ciocatto as a member of the Black and Gold. Ciocatto also struck out four batters in the effort.
For the game, the Mountaineers would at the time collect a season-high 13 hits – topping their previous 2015 total of 11.
Game Two: App State 13, Austin Peay 7
In game two, the Mountaineers didn't let up and put on a hit parade in a dominating effort. App State would get out to an early 3-0 lead in the first.
With two outs, Warnock homered down the right field line. The home run was the second of the season and eighth of the senior's career. After Stewart walked, Seering ripped an RBI double to right center and then came home on a Josey RBI single.
The Apps would tack on one run in the second when Heichen and Cynthia Gomez simultaneously attempted to steal bases. The throw went down to second base and Gomez was able to slide in safe at home.
Austin Peay would tack on its first run in the bottom half and App State woud lead 4-1 going to the top of the third. In the third, Seering hit her first home run of the season and eighth of her career to deep left field.
Josey would later score on an error before Taynor blitzed a ball to the center field wall to drive in her second run of the day and first of the game.
The Governors would score once in the fourth and cut the Appalachian lead to 7-3. The Mountaineers would put up four more runs in the sixth inning. Heichen and Warnock would open the inning with singles, which was followed by an RBI single from Stewart.
On back-to-back pitches, Seering and Josey were hit and another run scored. Parker then broke through offensively and doubled in two runs to put App State up 11-3.
Following the four-run outburst, Austin Peay scored twice and kept the game going. In the next half inning, Stewart crushed a two-run homer to put the Mountaineers ahead by eight again, 13-5. The home run was the third of the year for the freshman, which currently leads the team. The Governors would tack on two more runs in a failed rally effort in the bottom half.
With 19 hits in the game, the Mountaineers topped its season-best from the game before and fell just one hit short of a program record. Last season, App State totaled 20 hits in a 20-19 loss to UNCG on April 26.
Ciocatto pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on three hits, while striking out two. Schoelkopf pitched 3.1 innings and gave up four runs on five hits and fanned two batters.
The Mountaineers will return to action on Tuesday, March 3 for a single-game against USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
