STATESBORO, GA. – Appalachian State softball fell to the Georgia Southern Eagles in both games of the doubleheader on April 28. Defensive errors were to blame in both tight games.
The Apps dropped their sixth walk-off loss after game one, 8-7. With a similar tied ball game at 7-7 in game two, the Eagles pulled away after three errors on the App State defense in the sixth inning. The Eagles took the second game 9-12.
Game One (L, 7-8)
The Mountaineers put up runs in each of the first three innings in game one. Eight of nine Mountaineers in the lineup had at least one hit.
Keri White,
Haley Stewart and
Avery Wheatley each had two hits apiece.
Kenzie Longanecker had five strikeouts in the circle and walked only two batters in 29 at-bats.
In the first inning, White lead off with a single through the left side.
Jenny Dodd reached on a fielder's choice, and White was safe at second on the play due to a throwing error by the shortstop. With two Mountaineers on base,
Heather Josey grounded into a double play but not before White scored the first run of the game.
In the second inning, Stewart singled up the middle to get on base for
Baylee Morton at the plate who blasted a two-RBI home run to right field.
Megan Walker and Wheatley each followed with a single. Longanecker had two three-up, three-down innings, including the bottom of the second. The Apps widened the lead 3-0 after two innings.
With two outs in the top of the third, Stewart sent out her second home run of the season to bring the score to 4-0. The Eagles scored one in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly and two more in the bottom of the fourth. The Mountaineers held onto the lead until the bottom of the sixth when the Eagles scored two after a walk and a two-RBI home run.
A determined offense allowed the Mountaineers to pull ahead once again in the top of the seventh inning. Wheatley and White started off the rally with two singles both to shortstop. H. Josey doubled down the leftfield line for the RBI to tie it up at 5-5. A. Josey drew the walk, and
Ally Walters singled down the right field line to bring White home for a clutch hit and the 6-5 lead. On a wild pitch, the Mountaineers scored another.
After taking the lead, the Apps fell to the Eagles in the bottom of the seventh. Back-to-back singles and an error from Wheatley at shortstop allowed one run to score for the Eagles. With a single up the middle, the Eagles tied it up at 7-7 before another single up the middle scored the winning run for the walk-off W.
Game Two
Morton stepped up at the plate for the Mountaineers with two home runs for a total of three homers on the day. Despite nine runs from the Mountaineers, the Eagles took the win after pulling away from a tied score with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Georgia Southern started with the lead after scoring one in the bottom of the first. Morton's first homer of the game occurred in the top of the second inning after A. Josey singled and Stewart reached on an error to put the Mountaineers on top 3-1.
The Eagles regained the lead in the bottom of the same inning, scoring six runs on five hits including a three-RBI home run. The Apps tied it up at 7-7 in the top of the third inning. With two outs, A. Josey doubled to the centerfield fence and Stewart drew a walk. Walters' double to left center brought in two RBI. Morton followed up with a two-RBI homer for the Mountaineers' four runs in the third inning.
After three scoreless innings for both teams, Georgia Southern managed to score five more runs on three hits and three errors from the Mountaineer defense. An error lead off the inning followed by two singles. A sacrifice fly scored the first run before a three-RBI home run brought the score to 12-7.
In the top of the seventh, Dodd and H. Josey drew back-to-back walks before both pinch runners –
Gabby Buruato and
Laura Sales – advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. A. Josey sent a sacrifice fly to leftfield for Buruato to score. Stewart's single up the middle allowed the Mountaineers to score again, but App State ultimately fell to the Eagles 9-12.
The series concludes on Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. in Statesboro, Ga.
