PANTHERSVILLE, GA. - Appalachian State (19-8, 7-1 SBC) needed eight innings to beat conference foe Georgia State (5-25, 3-5 SBC) in game two on Saturday. The Mountaineers rallied to score four runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth to win the game.
The Mountaineers have not won 19 games since the 2014 season. App State went 19-32 that year. It is also the first time since 2014 that the Apps have won seven conference games in a season. App State was a part of the SoCon from 2001-2014. They went 7-13 in conference that year.
Freshman
Taylor Nichols got the win after pitching in relief for junior
Sydney Holland. That brings her record to 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA.
Junior
Kenzie Longanecker was credited with the save, her first of the season.
Senior
Jenny Dodd continued her streak of reaching base safely again on Saturday. After her three walks on Saturday, she has now reached base in 24 straight games with 30 walks on the season. Junior
Sidney Russell is following suit with having reached base in 15 straight games. She is also maintaining a four game hitting streak after a single on Saturday.
An error and two wild pitches brought in
Keri White for the first run of the game in the top of the first inning but the Panthers had an answer. Georgia State scored two runs in the first and one run in the second, third and fourth innings.
The Mountaineers brought in Nichols in relief and the Panthers wouldn't touch home again.
In the seventh, the Mountaineers rallied and scored four runs to tie the game. Sophomore
Baylee Morton and junior
Laura Sales were both walked while junior
Keri White, Dodd, redshirt senior
Haley Stewart and Russell all had a hit.
In the eighth, Dodd singled up the middle to bring home the winning run in senior
Megan Walker.
"I am so proud of the character, class and mental toughness of our team," head coach
Shelly Hoerner said. "A TEAM win on the road is huge but a come from behind TEAM win is even sweeter. Tomorrow will be a fun game for the series finale."
The Mountaineers will play game three on Sunday at 1 p.m.
