CHARLOTTE, N.C. - App State baseball was edged by South Carolina 9-6 Tuesday at Truist Field.
App State (3-5) jumped on the board early with a first-inning grand slam by Charlotte native Hunter Bryson, his second homer of the season. In the first midweek game of the year, Dylan Rogers also connected on a first-inning solo shot at No. 23 Duke.
A Hunter Cross sac-fly in third would give the Mountaineers a 5-0 lead over the Gamecocks (7-1) through three. Out of the eight games played this season, App State has scored first in five of those contests.
An RBI-single from Dylan Rogers answered South Carolina's first run in the top of the fourth to give the Black and Gold an 6-1 advantage through four complete. South Carolina's five-run fifth knotted the contest at six apiece, then scoring eight unanswered runs to win 9-6.
Jason Cornatzer got the midweek start against the Gamecocks. In his second start of the year, Cornatzer pitched 3.1 innings surrendering one run on three hits and struck out three.
Eli Ellington (0-1) was credited with the loss, tossing 2.2 innings allowing four runs on two hits. As a pitching staff, App State recorded double-digit strikeouts on the night, 10, for the fourth time this season.
Offensively, the Mountaineers outhit the Gamecocks 9-8. Both Jacob Whitley (3-for-5) and Alex Aguila (2-for-4) produced multiple hits Tuesday.
App State will be back in action this Friday, March 4 for its home-opening series against UNCW.
The 2022 App State baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
