TROY, ALA. – The App State softball team fell to South Alabama on Friday afternoon by a score of 2-1. With the loss, the Mountaineers have been eliminated from the 2021 Sun Belt Championship. App State finishes 27-19 on the year.
The Mountaineers followed up their historic 2019 season with another solid season, finishing fifth in the Sun Belt regular season, tied for their highest finish with the 2019 season. App State defeated Georgia State in the Sun Belt Championship, marking the first win in school history in the tournament.
Kenzie Longanecker and
Gabby Buruato were also named to the 2021 All-Sun Belt Second Team, just the fourth and fifth Mountaineers to do so.
App State battled until the end against South Alabama, scoring in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Jaguar lead to one.
Gabby Buruato put herself in scoring position after an error by the center fielder allowed her to reach second. With two outs,
Emily Parrott stepped up to the plate and hit an RBI triple to center field to score Buruato. The Mountaineer rally came up short as a strikeout ended the threat.
From there, freshman Olivia Lackie came on in relief for Jaguar starter Jenna Hardy and didn't allow a runner on base. Hardy (3-2) received the win, pitching five innings and giving up one run on two hits. Lackie received her fourth save on the season, striking out two in her two innings of work.
Kenzie Longanecker threw well in the circle for App State, pitching all seven innings and striking out four. She ends her career as one of the most dominant pitchers in App State softball history.
The Jaguars plated both of their runs in the top of the second, as pinch hitter Camryn McLemore singled to right field to bring in Abby Allen and Mackenzie Brasher singled to the shortstop to score Caroline Nichols. South Alabama will now take on Troy, with the winner advancing the semifinals to face Texas State.
