BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Mountaineer bats went quiet, as Gardner-Webb handed App State a 5-1 loss at John Henry Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The action started right away in this one, as
CJ Boyd reached on a hit by pitch and moved to third on a one-out single by
Banks Tolley. After
Braxton Church walked,
Austin St. Laurent drove home Boyd with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 1-0.
Gardner-Webb answered back, tying the game at 1-1 in the second inning with a one-out, solo home run, but
Jackson Steensma (loss, 0-1) was able to retire the next two batters.
With two outs in the third, a single to left field looked like it was going to plate another run for the Bulldogs, but Boyd threw out the runner at the plate, keeping the ballgame tied.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the fourth off a two-out, two-run homer from Tommy Tavarez. Gardner-Webb then added to its lead with another solo home run in the fifth.
In his first career start, Steensma was victimized by the long ball, as he allowed just five hits in five innings, but three of those hits were home runs. Steensma struck out two and walked two in the ballgame.
Cody Little made his App State debut in the sixth in relief of Steensma. Logging three innings and only giving up one run on three hits, while picking up one strikeout.
Tommy Walker led off the 8th inning with a walk, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, made his way to third base on a
Xavier Moronta double. They would be stranded in scoring position after ground out and strikeout. Moronta led the offense with two hits in the ballgame.
The tying run made it to the on-deck circle for the Mountaineers in the ninth, but the Bulldogs turned to Devin Pressley, who struck out all three hitters he faced to lock down the win for Gardner-Webb.
Despite working seven walks in the ballgame, App State was held to just four hits, and went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight men on base.
The two teams will face off in the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. with
Dante Chirico slated to take the ball for the Mountaineers.
The 2024 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
