BOONE, N.C. – A packed final week of the regular season with five home games for App State Softball begins with a Tuesday doubleheader against ETSU.
The Mountaineers (19-27) have won their last six nonconference games heading into the 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. contests against the Buccaneers (11-33). Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, and attendance is free for spectators.
Tuesday is First Responders Day, with plans to have a ceremonial first pitch before Game 1. All first responders in attendance will be recognized during the second game.
Who: App State (19-27) vs. ETSU (11-33)
Where: Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium // Boone, N.C.
When: Tuesday, April 30 // 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
Concluding a Sun Belt Conference series at Marshall, App State was part of the highest-scoring game of its 2024 season Sunday. An eight-run inning from the Mountaineers highlighted a big rally, but the Thundering Herd went on to post an 18-12 home win.
Nineteen runs — in a 10-9 victory for App State over Georgia State — had been the highest combined run total during a game involving the Mountaineers this season. An eight-run fourth inning cut their deficit to 12-9 against Marshall, marking the fifth time this season that App State has scored at least eight runs in an inning — it did it as recently as April 17 in an 11-3 victory against North Carolina A&T.
Only a 10-run inning in a 13-0 win against ETSU on March 11 and a nine-run inning in a 15-0 win against Mount St. Mary's eclipsed Sunday's fourth-inning output.
First Pitch
- App State is 15-10 in nonconference play, with its six-game midweek winning streak including, in order of most recent games, victories against Western Carolina (10-2 and 5-0), North Carolina A&T (11-3), UNCG (6-4) and ETSU (13-0 and 12-3).
- Head coach Shelly Hoerner sits just three wins away from 700 career victories. She is already the winningest coach in program history with 159 victories.
- App State is 17-3 this season when scoring at least five runs.
- ETSU snapped a six-game skid by wrapping up a weekend SoCon series against Wofford with a 3-2 victory. The Bucs had been held scoreless for the first 19 innings of the series before they scored three runs in the fifth inning of the finale.
On the Mountaineers
- Kayt Houston, App State's career leader for hits (239), smashed the 30th home run of her career Sunday. She needs three doubles to tie Allie Cashion's program record of 51 in a career (2010-13) and four to break the record.
- Sejal Neas, who threw a one-hit shutout against Western Carolina in a midweek start last Tuesday, reached 200 career strikeouts Sunday at Marshall. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at a young age, she has brought a battled-tested mentality to the mound during her softball career.
- Fellow pitcher Delani Buckner surpassed 250 career strikeouts during last week's midweek doubleheader against Western Carolina.
- In the circle, Neas has led the way with 24 starts and is 9-14 overall. Kaylie Northrop is 8-5 with 11 starts, while Buckner is 2-7 with 10 starts.
- Killian Roberts is three hits away from 100 in her collegiate career. She recorded one hit Sunday against Marshall.
- Houston leads App State regulars in several offensive categories, including batting average (.435), slugging percentage (.748), on-base percentage (.512), runs (40), hits (64), multi-hit games (20), doubles (17) and walks (23). She has nine homers, one behind Peyton Darnell's team-leading total of 10.
- Ambry Lucas has started the last seven games at first base after having only two starts at first, plus two starts as the designated player, prior to that. She is batting .346 (8-for-22) since moving into the starting lineup, highlighted by a four-hit game Sunday vs. Marshall.
Series History
App State vs. ETSU
- 42nd/43rd meetings on Tuesday
- Last meeting: March 11, 2024 (App State swept home doubleheader, winning 12-3 in six innings and 13-0 in five innings)
- Series record: App State leads 21-20
- Trend: App State has won each of the last 10 games played at home against ETSU.
Up Next
After Tuesday's doubleheader, the Mountaineers close the regular season with a Sun Belt home series against Georgia Southern. That series will run Thursday-Saturday with the Sun Belt Tournament beginning on Wednesday, May 8.
Friday will be Senior Graduation Day, followed by Senior Day on Saturday.
