CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Seven innings wasn't enough to decide the season opener between the App State Mountaineers and the Charlotte 49ers. The Mountaineers fell 4-3 in a tight, eight-inning game.
This marks the opening game for both teams, who will face each other again in a doubleheader on Sunday.
The Mountaineers held the lead for the majority of the game, striking in the first inning. 5
th year senior
Keri White got the Mountaineers going to open the game with a leadoff double down the left field line. With one out, senior
Baylee Morton stepped up to the plate and crushed the two-run homerun to give App State the 2-0 lead.
Kenzie Longanecker was solid in the circle in her season debut, not giving up a hit until the fifth inning. She ended her day with six strikeouts after going 6 innings.
The fifth inning was also successful for the Mountaineer bats as White and freshman
Emma Jones led off with singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. Runners moved to second and third off a fielder's choice from Morton and White would score after freshman
Kayt Houston posted her first career RBI off a fielder's choice to third base.
From there, Charlotte shut down the App State bats and rallied late to take the win, beginning in the fifth inning. A leadoff walk got the rally going for the 49ers. The next batter flew out to centerfield but another walk put runners at first and second. Pinch runner Avery Bellai stole third to set up for the score. Imani Rochelle scored her with a single through the left side.
The Mountaineer defense held the two-run lead into the seventh when a walk got the 49er rally started again. After a single moved runners to first and second,
Sydney Holland came on in relief for Longanecker. Holland walked the first batter she faced to load the bases and a fielder's choice scored the runner from third to make it a 3-2 game. Another single through the left side tied the game up for the 49ers. The Mountaineers were able to hold on in the bottom of the seventh to push the game to extra innings.
App State was held scoreless in the top of the eighth, allowing Charlotte to potentially win the game in the bottom of the inning. The 49ers opened the bottom half with a double, followed by a ground out to second, moving the runner to third. A walk put runners on the corners when Anna Devereaux successfully escaped a rundown between third and home to win the game.
Lindsey Walljasper went the distance for the 49ers, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. Holland earned the loss for the Mountaineers, coming on in relief and giving up two hits and one run.
The Mountaineers return to the field on Sunday at Charlotte, with the first game of the doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
