CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The App State softball team split a doubleheader with Charlotte on Tuesday, taking the first game, 12-7 and falling in the second game, 5-3.
Game 1
The Mountaineers notched their first win of the season with a 12-7 victory over the 49ers. Nine different Mountaineers scored in the victory and senior
Baylee Morton tied her career-high with five RBIs.
The bats were going early for App State, who scored eight runs in the first inning to take the lead. With
Keri White and
Emma Jones both getting on base to begin the game, Morton came up to the plate and doubled through the middle to score two. A fielding error by the shortstop scored Morton to put the Mountaineers up 3-0.
After
Taylor Thorp walked, the bases were loaded for
Caylie Kifer who singled to left field to bring in a run.
Gabby Buruato reached on an error by the third baseman to increase the lead to 5-0. Jones capped off the rally with a triple to left field, bringing in three runs to take an 8-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning.
Sydney Holland started in the circle for the Mountaineers, receiving the win after going three innings. The 5
th year senior didn't give up a run until the second inning, where the 49ers were able to score four runs off of five hits, including a two-run homerun.
Charlotte added two more runs in the bottom of the third, stringing together four singles and an error from the Mountaineer second baseman, Jones. App State's lead was cut to 8-6 heading into the top of the fourth. The 49ers also scored in the sixth with back-to-back doubles.
Morton struck again in the top of the fifth, hitting her second homerun of the season to bring in Jones who singled through the left side. The Mountaineers added an insurance run in the sixth and seventh, with White scoring
Addison Jones on a bunt single and another Morton homerun, respectively.
Sophomore
Camryn Brazile came on in relief of Holland in the fourth inning, pitching 2.1 innings and giving up one run off three hits.
Kenzie Longanecker came on in the bottom of the sixth to close the game, not giving up any runs in her 1.2 innings of work.
Karyana Mithell received the loss in the circle for Charlotte, giving up four runs off of three hits. Kourtney Gremillion and Kiyah Garrett led the 49ers offensively, each with two RBIs.
Game 2
The Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead in the second game as well, taking a 1-0 lead off a sacrifice fly from
Kayt Houston. White once again opened the game with a hit and Jones moved her to third off a single, setting her up to score on the Houston sac fly.
The 49ers answered, putting up two runs in the bottom half off of three hits, including two doubles. Freshman
Delani Buckner got the start in the circle for the Mountaineers, giving up 11 hits in her five innings of work. She ended the day with three strikeouts.
App State tied it up in the top of the second, as Buruato scored Kifer who reached base on a double to left field. The Mountaineers took the lead in the third, with Parrott scoring Morton off a sacrifice fly to right field.
Charlotte was able to answer again in the bottom half of the third, scoring two runs on two singles and a double. They would hold the 4-3 lead into the fourth.
From there, both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Charlotte opened the inning with a single up the middle. After the runner stole second, another single scored her to give the 49ers a 5-3 lead. Longanecker came on again in relief, getting out of the inning with a foul out to first base and a double play from White at third base.
The Mountaineers were unable to score in the top of the seventh, moving them to 1-2 on the young season. Lindsey Walljasper (2-0) went the distance for Charlotte, giving up four hits and striking out three.
App State is back in action this weekend, playing UNC Greensboro in a three-game series beginning on Saturday in Greensboro.
