CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Appalachian State (29-16) will take on past rival Western Carolina (17-26) in a doubleheader on Tuesday.
The matchup will be the 19th and final non-conference team the Mountaineers will face this season.
APP STATE OFFENSE
The Mountaineers have managed a consistent .245 team batting average this season, relying on hitting in the moments when needed the most to lift them throughout the year.
From the leadoff spot, Keri White is hitting with a team-best .331 batting average through 151 at bats this season. With 50 hits on the season, White is 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in total hits bringing along with her 17 RBIs and 64 total bases.
Alison Durrence carries a .667 slugging percentage and 11 home runs so far this year, currently sitting at third in the Sun Belt.
Jenny Dodd continues to hold on to a conference and team-best 38 walks this season alongside a .444 on-base percentage.
White is also a perfect 11-11 in stolen bases this season helping the Mountaineers dominate the base path as they are currently 42-50 in stolen bases this year.
APP STATE DEFENSE
The Mountaineers are now third in conference with a 2.70 team ERA and 181 strikeouts through 45 games.
Sydney Holland has seen the most action in the last week, pitching in all four games and ending the week with a 2.27 ERA. Holland has a 12-8 record on the year with 60 strikeouts.
Kenzie Longanecker goes into the weekend with a 14-4 record and 2.08 ERA, good for second in the Sun Belt. She currently sits at fourth in strikeouts in program history with 89 on the season and 303 in her career.
The Mountaineers have put together a fourth-best Sun Belt defense with a .969 fielding percentage. Caylie Kifer and Sidney Russell hold the keys to the heart of the infield as the Black and Gold have turned 15 double plays this season.
Baylee Morton has held it down behind the plate as she has caught eight runners stealing so far this season, tied for fourth in the Sun Belt.
THE LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
App State is 24-9 in program history against Western Carolina through 33 meetings. In 2018, the Mountaineers split the doubleheader taking the first game 8-5 and losing the second 4-5 in Boone.
In the first game, App State had eight runs on 12 hits including a home run by Keri White. Laura Sales and Megan Walker each stole a base in the win.
The Catamounts five runs all came from four home runs in the game, serving as four of the five hits for Western Carolina in game one.
The Mountaineers were simply out-hit in game two as the Catamounts had 10 to the Black and Gold six hits.
Three runs in the seventh gave Western Carolina the lead, including a home run as the go-ahead winning run over the Mountaineers.
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Western Carolina heads into Tuesday with a 13-16 non-conference record and 4-7 record at home.
Hunter Gibbons leads the Catamounts with a .325 batting average and 41 hits on the season. Gibbons knows how to get on base as she has been walked 23 times this season and holds a .425 on-base percentage up to this point in the year.
Shaina Reed has a team-high eight home runs on the season with a .436 slugging percentage.
In the circle, Kinsey Liscio has seen the most time with a 9-8 record and 4.05 ERA. Liscio has 62 strikeouts on the year through 115.2 innings.
Reed is not only the number one home run hitter for the Catamounts but also the number two pitcher on the team. With 48 strikeouts through 22 appearances, Reed has put together a 6-13 record with a 4.67 ERA.
