BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State softball split two games against the UL Monroe Warhawks on Saturday, March 10, in the first conference series. The Mountaineers won the first game 7-3 and lost the second game 12-4 in five innings.
App State won their conference-opening game for the first time since joining the Sun Belt in the 2015 season. The Apps have now taken two wins from ULM in 12 games. The first win against the Warhawks was in 2016. The Apps had a seven-game winning streak going before game two of the day. This 7-0 record was the longest winning streak in program history.
Game One (W, 7-3)
App State had thirteen hits in the first game against the Warhawks.
Kenzie Longanecker was the winning pitcher with a complete game. She had three strikeouts with 115 total pitches, allowing only six hits. Longanecker's record is now 3-6.
Four Mountaineers had a multi-hit first game including two apiece for
Keri White,
Jenny Dodd and
Megan Walker.
Laura Sales went 3-4. The Mountaineers scored a run in four of the six innings of offense. The Warhawks did not score until the third inning on two doubles and a walk.
The bottom of the fifth inning was a strong inning for the Apps. Four singles in a row from White, Sales,
Alisha Josey and Dodd and a hit apiece from
Sidney Russell and Walker allowed the Mountaineers to score three. The Apps were not done scoring. In the bottom of the sixth,
Avery Wheatley beat out the throw on a single to shortstop. White laid down a sacrifice bunt before Sales placed a bunt in front of home plate for a single. Dodd reached on an error that allowed Sales to score Sales and Wheatley.
Game Two (L, 12-4, 5 innings)
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Warhawks' offense came up big in the first inning. Three errors and ten hits allowed the Warhawks to get an early head start for a 10-0 lead.
The Mountaineers scored three of their runs in the bottom of the third inning. Walker and Stewart both drew walks to put runners on base for Wheatley, who laid down a bunt and beat out the throw from the catcher. With bases loaded, Sales reached on a fielder's choice, but Walker was out at home. A. Josey sent the ball to the fence to clear the bases for the Mountaineers with three RBIs.
The Warhawks scored two more in the top of the fourth before the Mountaineers scored one in the bottom of the fourth off of a single from
Baylee Morton and Walker. White reached on an error that brought Buruato across the plate for the Mountaineers' final run. In five innings, App State had four hits and three errors.
Annaleise Kennedy took the loss for the Mountaineers. Her record is now 2-1 this season.
The Mountaineers return to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium on Sunday, March 11 at 1 p.m. for the final game of the SBC series against ULM.
