SAN MARCOS, Texas – A four-run fourth inning allowed Texas State to gain separation in an 8-2 victory against Appalachian State as both teams opened their Sun Belt Conference schedules Friday night.
App State (5-10, 0-1) trailed 2-1 after CJ Brown homered off Nicholas Fraze in the top of the third inning. It added another run in the ninth inning with an RBI single from Joel McDaniel to score Kendall McGowan, who returned to his opening-day spot as the starting left fielder. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles.
App State junior
Colin Schmid is scheduled to start on the mound Saturday in Game 2 against the Bobcats (11-4-1, 1-0). Schmid has a 2.52 ERA this season with 27 strikeouts and a .193 opposing batting average.
"I thought we did a good job early against Fraze, and then he settled in around the third," App State head coach
Kermit Smith said. "They really held us at bay from that point on until the ninth.
"It's nice to have McGowan healthy and back in the lineup. Colin gets the ball tomorrow to give us a chance to even the series. He's been throwing it extremely well."
The Bobcats opened the scoring with two runs in the second, followed by one in the third and four in the fourth.
App State starting pitcher Andrew Vaccacio was relieved in the fourth inning by Bobby Hampton, and Will Sprinkle pitched the final four innings.
The top of the ninth inning saw the Mountaineers load the bases twice. After a lineout to start the inning, four straight batters reached base, with one scoring. The comeback attempt fell short as Bobcats pitcher Kyle Bradford struck out the final two batters.
