BOONE, N.C. – The App State softball team heads for warmer weather this weekend, making the trip to Orlando, Fla. to compete in the D9 Citrus Blossom Tournament. The Mountaineers will play five games over the course of three days in the Sunshine State.
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Last Time Out
The Mountaineers split their opening weekend with a win against Virginia on day one and a win against Charlotte on day two. Against the Cavaliers on Saturday,
Sydney Holland threw a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits and struck out five.
Baylee Morton had the game-winning RBI.
Against the 49ers on Sunday, Holland had another solid game in the circle, striking out a career-high eight batters and allowing three hits.
Alison Durrence tallied two RBI, while
Taylor Thorp and
Maegan Calandra each added one.
Morton Momentum
Morton played a big role in App State's run production over the weekend with seven of the 15 RBI. The junior hit .385 with two solo home runs and a two-run homer. She also had a single and a triple for a total of five hits. Morton accounted for four Mountaineer runs as well.
Freshmen Standouts
Freshmen
Emily Parrott and
Maegan Calandra started in all four games for the Mountaineers in left field and at first base, respectively. Parrott made her presence known at the plate, hitting .333 on the weekend with four hits, three of which were doubles. She also scored two runs. Calandra had two hits and two RBI on the weekend. Freshman
Delaney Smith also added a pinch-hit single in her only at bat of the weekend.
Solid At Bats
Four Mountaineers hit above .300 over opening weekend. Along with Morton and Parrott,
Alison Durrence hit .357 and
Gabby Buruato hit .333. Durrence ended the weekend with five hits and three RBI, while Buruato posted three hits. App State ended its first four games with 27 total hits, including eight for extra bases.
Scouting Bethune-Cookman
The Wildcats competed in the Florida Atlantic Invitational last weekend, going 1-4 with a win over Indiana State (2-1) and losses to Northern Illinois (1-0), Purdue (5-3) and Wisconsin (8-0, 4-0). Samantha Kelley and Haley Parks led Bethune-Cookman offensively, hitting .364 and .333, respectively. In the circle, Victoria Guzman got the win over Indiana State and went 1-1 on the weekend with a 1.24 ERA. Destiny Enriquez went 0-3, posting a 2.21 ERA.
Scouting Charleston Southern
The Buccaneers open their season Friday, taking on St. Joe's at 3:30 p.m. before the Mountaineers at 6:00 p.m. Charleston Southern ended last season with a 18-37 record and a fifth-place finish in the Big South. Holly Clark enters the circle as the Bucs most experienced pitcher having started 23 times last year. She notched five wins over conference opponents and threw three complete games in the Big South. Sophomore Alyssa Heinrich saw action in 24 games as a sophomore. Annie Bakenhus returns after posting a .328 batting average in 55 starts.
Scouting Lehigh
Last season, Lehigh went 27-28 overall with an 11-7 record in the Patriot League and will open its season this weekend. The Mountain Hawks were also picked second out of the seven teams in the league's preseason poll for the second year in a row. Mary-Hannah Smith leads Lehigh, named Preseason All-Patriot League after she led the league in hits (67) and ranked third in batting average (.368). Parker Boyd was also a Preseason All-Patriot League selection after leading Lehigh in wins (19), ERA (2.57), shutouts (five), innings pitched (204.2) and strikeouts (187).
Scouting Saint Joseph's
The Hawks finished the season with a 28-25 record for their first winning season since 2015. This weekend will serve as their opening weekend. Saint Joseph's finished last season with a 13-10 record in conference play and fell to Fordham in the A-10 Tournament Championship. Sarah Ostazkewski and Kirstin Cox return for the Hawks, hitting .351 and .333 last year, respectively. Ashley Ventura was the main starter in the circle, posting a 15-16 record with 43 appearances. She ended with a 3.40 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
Up Next
The Mountaineers continue their tournament schedule next weekend, making the trip to Charleston, S.C. to compete in the Charleston Invitational from Feb. 21-23.
