AUBURN, Ala. – Appalachian State University softball concluded the 2015 Plainsman Invitational on Sunday with a 9-0 defeat to the No. 19 ranked Auburn Tigers.
The Mountaineers (1-3) were the designated home team for the tournament matchup, so the Tigers batted first.
Auburn plated two runs in the opening inning off of an RBI groundout and an error that could have ended the inning.
The big inning for the Tigers came in the second inning when they scored five runs. Auburn got two RBI singles, an RBI double and a two-run homer to cap the inning and lead the Apps 7-0.
Auburn would then score one run in the third and one run in the fourth to build the 9-0 lead that would stand as the final after five innings of play.
For the Mountaineers, Katherine Johnson received the start and pitched 1.2 innings and allowed five hits and four earned runs. Vanessa Ciocatto relieved Johnson after she was hit by a line drive.
Ciocatto covered the remaining 3.1 innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run, while striking out three to stymie the Tiger offense.
Dani Heichen's single in the third inning extended her hitting streak to four games. The senior put together a program-best 17-game hitting streak last season.
Freshman Haley Stewart and junior Pepper Butler collected the other two hits for the Mountaineers in the game.
In a relatively strange circumstance, Appalachian's first game against George Washington ended after just 4.1 innings due to the Colonials needing to make it to their scheduled flight at the airport. The game was given a drop dead time of 1:15 p.m. CT.
App State was leading 4-2 at the time with Sarah Warnock contributing a two-run double and Caroline Rogers also added an RBI single. Alissa Schoelkopf pitched 4.1 innings and struck out five Colonials.
The Mountaineers will return to action next weekend when they travel to Columbia, S.C. to play in the Gamecock Invitational. Appalachian will open up with the North Carolina Tar Heels in a single-game on Friday, Feb. 13. First pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m.
