JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Dillon Dobson moved into Appalachian State University's all-time top 10 with two home runs but East Tennessee State scored seven times in the first two innings and went on to hand the Mountaineers a 10-4 defeat on Wednesday evening at Thomas Stadium.

Dobson's solo homers in the first and eighth innings gave the junior 10 home runs for the season and 27 for his career, which is good for a tie for seventh in Appalachian State history. The 27 career dingers are the most by a Mountaineer since Wes Hobson and Jerrod Faggart hit 30 and 28, respectively, from 2007-10.

Dobson's line-drive, opposite-field shot to left opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Two batters later, freshman Conner Leonard launched a solo blast of his own over the left-center field wall and Appalachian State (13-33) grabbed an early 2-0 lead.

However, the Mountaineers' only advantage of the ballgame didn't last long as, aided by the first of two catcher's interference calls, ETSU (17-27) scored three runs (two unearned) in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead.

Appalachian State tied it at 3-3 on Dylan Hamel's RBI single in the top of the second but ETSU exploded for four runs in the bottom of the frame to grab a commanding 7-3 lead. Three-straight doubles after a leadoff walk highlighted the four-run second for the Bucs.

After the frantic first two innings, the game settled down. ETSU stretched its lead to 8-3 with an unearned run in the fifth and Dobson made it 8-4 with his no-doubt solo bomb to right field in the top of the eighth. The Bucs closed scoring with two more unearned tallies in the bottom of the eighth.

Dobson and Leonard finished with two hits apiece to account for the majority of Appalachian State's six-hit effort. Matt Brill walked and doubled to extend his on-base streak to 15 games.

ETSU finished with 11 hits but half of its 10 runs were unearned thanks to the Mountaineers' three errors (two of which came on catcher's interference).

With a Sun Belt Conference Tournament berth still in reach, Appalachian State hosts perennial conference power UL Lafayette for a pivotal three-game Sun Belt series this weekend at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at appstatesports.com/tickets.