BOONE, N.C. – Trailing by three runs in the ninth inning, App State loaded the bases and scored twice, but ultimately stranded the winning run aboard in a 7-6 loss to Georgia Southern, to open conference play.
Dalton Williams pinch-hit to begin the inning and reached on an infield single.
Luke Drumheller then singled to right, and
Austin St. Laurent walked to load the bases. Two batter later
Hunter Bryson pinch-hit and drew a walk to force home a run, and
Andrew Terrell plated a second run with a sac fly to center, but a popout ended the ballgame leaving the tying and go-ahead runners on base.
App State (6-10, 0-1) struck first to open the ballgame, scoring three runs in the first inning. Terrell walked to begin the inning and Rogers followed with a single. After a walk to
Andrew Greckel loaded the bases,
Hayden Cross followed with a single to right-center which cleared the bases, with Greckel scoring on a mishandled throw home.
The Eagles (12-6, 1-0) chipped away in the middle innings. They plated at least one run in every inning from the third through the seventh, tallying 14 hits in the ballgame including a pair of home runs.
Game two of the series is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday when App State will honor the 2012 NCAA Tournament team on the 10
th anniversary season of that squad winning the Southern Conference regular season title.
The 2022 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
