BUIES CREEK, N.C.  – Appalachian State University softball went 1-1 on the final day at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Camel Stampede rolling over Rider University 7-1 and slipping to Norfolk State 3-1 in Buies Creek, N.C.

“I would have liked to have gone out of here with a sweep this weekend, but I think my girls played hard,” said head coach Janice Savage. “The girls worked hard and everything that we did today was a learning experience, and we are going to grow from it, and that is exciting.”

Appalachian State improves to 10-8 after four weekends of tournament play, the most wins recorded in App State history after the first week of March. Five Mountaineers spearheaded the offense cranking out multiple hits including Cara Parker (3-for-6), Natalie Orcutt (3-for-6), Haley Stewart (2-for-6), Ally Walters (2-for-6) and Jenny Dodd (2-for-6). Also, Orcutt bombed out two home runs at the Amanda Littlejohn Stadium in each game, her seventh and eight homers of her career.

In the circle, App State's pitching staff only allowed seven hits and four runs with four walks and 15 strikeouts.

Game One: App State 7 , Rider 1

Rider broke onto the boards first scoring the first run of the ballgame in the top of the first, but their lead did not last long as the Mountaineers tacked on two runs in the bottom of the second to take the 2-1 advantage. Parker crashed a double to dead center to bring home Stewart who reached on a single, and Megan Walker pinched in for a sac. bunt to pave the way for Dodd to dash home.

At the bottom of the fourth, Dodd bombed her first triple of the season at the peak of the right center fence, and Parker brought her home firing out a single to center field to take the two-run advantage.

In the following inning, App State pounded out back-to-back doubles by Orcutt and Walters to add one more to Appalachian's run count.

Then at the bottom of the seventh, the Mountaineers jumped out to a 7-1 lead thanks to a three-run homer by Orcutt.

The Broncs would never recover from the six-run drought, and App State snatched their third victory of the tournament.

In the circle, Katie Williford (1-0) pitched the first 5.0 innings and held RU to two hits and one run (unearned) with three strikeouts. In relief, Kenzie Longanecker closed out the game with a no-hitter in 2.0 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.

Parker led the offense putting out a perfect performance at the plate (3-for-3) with two RBI and Orcutt, Walters and Dodd turned in a trio of two-hitter outings.

Game Two: Norfolk State 3, App State 1

The Mountaineers struggled to make something happen offensively for the first four innings to counter Norfolk State's 3-0 lead until Orcutt sent over her second home run of the day over the right center fence in the fifth to cut the Spartans' lead to 3-1.

After going down in order in the sixth, the Mountaineers had one last chance in the seventh to rally back into the game. The Apps appeared to squash the Spartans' lead loading the bases with one out left, but Sidney Russell flied out to left field to drop the rematch 3-1.

App State turned in a sound defensive performance holding the Spartans to four consecutive three-and-outs after the first along with four Longanecker strikeouts.

Stopping the Spartans in their tracks after their three runs was Longanecker who threw a 6.2-inning shutout and only gave up one hit and one walk with six strikeouts.

Up Next

After an 18-game road stretch, the Black and Gold will host their season and conference opener on March 11-12 against No. 18 Louisiana. On Saturday, App State will open with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. against the Ragin' Cajuns and will finish the three-game series on Sunday with a single game at 12 p.m. at the Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium in Boone.