Box Score BOONE, N.C. — Grayson Atwood hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Appalachian State University baseball to a 6-4 walkoff win over Arkansas State on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

With the victory, Appalachian State (13-31, 8-16 Sun Belt) won this weekend's pivotal Sun Belt Conference series over Arkansas State (20-23, 9-15 Sun Belt), two games to one. The Mountaineers have won three-straight conference home series and matched last year's Sun Belt win total with six league games left to play.

Facing a 4-3 deficit with runners on first and third base and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Atwood annihilated a 2-1 pitch from Arkansas State reliever Tanner Ring for the game-winner. The senior's fourth home run of the season was a no-doubter right off the bat and sailed into the trees beyond Smith Stadium's left-field wall, sparking the Mountaineers' fourth walkoff celebration in their last eight conference home games.

Matt Vernon kickstarted the ninth-inning rally with a one-out double into the left-center field gap. One pitch later, Brian Bauk reached on a perfectly placed bunt single up the first-base line to chase A-State reliever Coulton Lee (5-4) from the game and set the stage for Atwood's heroics.

Bauk's ninth-inning bunt single capped a big day for the junior, who finished a career-best 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored, including what proved to be the game-winner. His two-run homer in the third inning gave App State its first lead at 2-1.

In addition to hitting the game-ending home run, Atwood doubled in the first inning and went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Chandler Seagle singled twice to round out three Mountaineers with multiple hits.

The unsung hero of the day was Appalachian State relief pitcher Reed Howell. Less than 24 hours after pitching 3.2 innings of relief in Friday's series opener, Howell worked the final 4.1 innings out of the bullpen on Saturday. The right-handed sophomore limited Arkansas State to one run on three hits and earned the hard-fought victory to move to 5-1 on the season.

App State banged out 11 hits on Saturday and 38 over the course of the three-game series. The Mountaineers have recorded double-digit hits in a season-high five-straight games.

Ring, Garrett Rucker, Austin Baker and Jake Bakamus had two hits apiece for A-State, which has lost two games in a row after having its six-game winning streak snapped in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader.

Appalachian State caps a four-game homestand on Tuesday night versus North Carolina A&T. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Smith Stadium.