CULLOWHEE, N.C. — With its biggest early inning outburst in six years, Appalachian State rolled to a 13-3 victory at Western Carolina on Tuesday.
The Mountaineers (3-4) scored twice in the top of the first inning, four times in the second inning and four times in the third inning to claim a 10-1 lead on the road against the Catamounts (1-7). Designated hitter
Jason Avers and catcher
Riley Smith finished with four RBIs apiece, and
Conner Leonard hit a solo homer in the eighth inning.
"We took advantage of a couple mistakes on their part and turned it into a lot of positives on our part," App State head coach
Kermit Smith said. "It was nice to see us show up that way. It was very similar to the way we came out Saturday against Wilmington."
It was the first time App State reached double figures in the first three innings of a game since the 2012 team that won a conference championship and reached an NCAA Regional scored 10 runs in the first three innings of a 15-4 win against Rider. That victory included a nine-run third inning.
The offensive explosion created a favorable cushion for starting pitcher
Travis Holden, who improved to 2-0 on the season by allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out six batters in six innings. The Mountaineers' starting pitchers have a 2.58 ERA this year, as Holden allowed no earned runs over five innings in his first start.
"He was fantastic," Smith said. "It was nice to throw up a couple runs for him so he could throw up a few zeroes."
Holden received plenty of run support Tuesday on a warm, sunny day at Hennon Stadium.
Avers had three run-producing plate appearances and, with the help of a two-run double, four RBIs as six Mountaineers registered at least one RBI and eight of them posted at least one hit in the first three innings.
Avers ended up 2-for-5 with one walk, and
Riley Smith was 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and two walks. Leonard and
Alex Leshock also finished with two hits.
Bailey Welch (walk),
Joel McDaniel (error) and Smith (walk) loaded the bases with no outs in the first before Avers brought Welch home with a fielder's choice and Leonard delivered an RBI single.
App State took a 2-1 lead into the second inning and strung together five straight one-out hits to claim a 6-1 advantage. Singles by Leshock and Welch set up an RBI double from McDaniel and a two-run double inside the bag at third from Smith, who scored on an RBI single from Avers.
An inning later, singles by
Beau Myers and
Calev Grubbs preceded Leshock's RBI double inside the bag at first. Grubbs scored on a groundout from Welch, and Avers drilled his two-run double into the left-center gap.
The Mountaineers increased their lead to 12-2 on Smith's two-run double in the seventh inning.
Tristan Helms and freshman
Cameron Kepley combined for a scoreless bottom of the seventh, Kepley capped his Appalachian debut with a scoreless eighth and redshirt sophomore
Andrew Papp made his Appalachian debut by pitching the ninth.
Off the bench, catcher
Bradley Davis celebrated his birthday by throwing out a potential base stealer in his first inning of work, and right fielder
Robert Langdon had two putouts.
App State returns to action Friday at 3 p.m. with its 2018 home opener against Marshall, which is traveling to Boone for a three-game series. After that series concludes, the Mountaineers will face SEC foe South Carolina on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark.
Season tickets can be purchased by clicking
HERE for the App State Ticket Central site, by calling the Appalachian State athletics ticket office at
(828) 262-2079 or by going to the ticket office, located at the Holmes Center, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Tickets for the game in Charlotte can be
purchased online HERE or by calling the Charlotte Knights' ticket office at 704-274-8282.
