BOONE, N.C. -- The App State softball team picked up a pair of non-conference wins in a doubleheader against ETSU on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers won the first game by a final score of 8-1 before an 8-0 scoreline secured the victory in the nightcap after just five innings of play. App State tallied five home runs on the day, with
Kayt Houston hitting two and
Emily Parrott delivering a grand slam. Defensively, the Mountaineers (21-14) only gave up one run on the day across twelve innings.
The two games against the Bucs (5-30) were just scheduled on Monday and came as a late addition to the Mountaineers' schedule after this matchup was originally canceled in March. The importance of executing tonight was important for App State as it returns to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend.
"I thought we saw the ball really well today," head coach
Shelly Hoerner said. "It was a contribution from the entire team. To see so much success from everyone was really, really important going into this weekend against South Alabama,"
GAME 1 RECAP
The Mountaineers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, tally back-to-back three-run innings in the first and second. The deadlock was broken after
Emma Jones came home via an RBI single from Houston. The Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week then came home for the second run of the game after
McKenzie McCullen was able to reach first on an error.
Addie Wray's RBI single plated
Baylee Morton to put App State up three runs after the first inning.
Parrott singled through the left side to score
Kennedy Upshire for the first run of the second inning. In the next at bat, Houston belted a pitch over the center field wall push the Mountaineer advantage to 6-0.
Addison Jones added a run in the bottom of the third after scoring on an ETSU error. The Bucs answered back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring their lone run of the day after Sara Muir made it home after an App State error at the plate.
Katelynn Crowe grabbed the last run of Game 1 after
Hailey Webb drew a bases-loaded walk, cementing the score at 8-1.
GAME 2 RECAP
After a scoreless first inning, the duo of Parrott and Houston struck again. With the bases loaded, Parrott connected on the first pitch she saw to tally her second grand slam of the season. Two pitches later, Houston tabbed her second home run of the day — she now has 11 bombs on the year. That mark puts her in sole possession of the fourth-most home runs in a single season in App State softball history.
In the bottom of the third, Morton torched a pitch to right center to push the lead to 6-0. Then, a single from Jones up the middle scored Wray to put the Mountaineers up seven. After there was nothing doing in the fourth for either squad,
Mary Pierce Barnes cracked a solo home run, giving the Mountaineers the walk-off victory in the night's second contest.
Four Mountaineers went yard on the night. Houston had two home runs and the trio of Parrott, Morton and Barnes each recorded one. Houston ended her night with four hits, four runs batted in and three runs scored. Wray and Jones posted identical stat lines, each registering four hits, one RBI and two runs scored.
Delani Buckner and
Taylor Nichols each featured in Game 1. Buckner tossed the first six innings, giving up just three hits and striking out four while giving up no earned runs. Nichols came in for the final inning, retiring the side and recording two punch outs.
Sejal Neas dealt a one-hit, complete game performance in the night cap as she struck out a pair of Buccaneers.
The Mountaineers return to action on Friday when they open up a three-game weekend series against Sun Belt foe South Alabama. First pitch for Friday's series opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. and all three games of the series will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
