CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Opening up the team's final regular-season tournament in Clarksville, Tenn., the App State Softball team dropped two contests to the Bucknell Bison and the host school Austin Peay Governors
. App State held early leads in both games but fell to Bucknell 5-3 after seeing the Bison go ahead in the sixth inning and saw a six-run fifth inning from Austin Peay after the Mountaineers led 3-0, which helped it take control before losing 11-3 in six innings.
The freshmen quartet of
Leah Gore,
Grace Taylor,
Julia Girk and
Madison McIntyre shined on Friday as Gore struck for three hits and McIntyre hit a home run. Taylor drove home a run against Bucknell, her second-career RBI, and Girk also tallied an RBI double in the seventh inning, which was her fifth double in the past six games.
Olivia Cook and
Grace Barrett tallied multi-hit games on Friday for App State (7-14), with Barrett tallying two hits against Austin Peay and Cook scorching two hits against the Bison. For Barrett, it was her eighth contest tallying at least two hits. Additionally,
Makayla McClain tallied a hit in game 2, giving her 99 hits for her collegiate career.
How it Happened
Game 1: App State 3, Bucknell 5
Despite allowing just one earned run in Friday's opening game against the Bison, the Mountaineers committed six errors defensively, which allowed Bucknell to score three runs in the sixth inning to take the lead. App State went ahead early thanks to a pair of second-inning runs, but Bucknell scored at least one run in each of the final three innings to claim the victory.
App State took the field first in Clarksville as the home team in game 1 and quickly shut out the Bison in the top of the first.
Sejal Neas, the Mountaineers' starting pitcher, struck out the lead-off hitter and worked around a two-out walk to do so. App State went down in order in its half of the first, but Neas sat down the Bison in the top of the second to keep things scoreless.
The Mountaineers struck first in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs on two hits and capitalizing on a defensive miscue to do so.
Taylor Chumbley led off the frame with a walk and Cook put two runners on with App State's first hit of the game. A batter later, Taylor got ahead in the count and shot an RBI double to the right-center field gap to plate Chumbley for the game's first run.
After a strikeout marked the second out of the inning, Girk put the ball in play and reached first on a botched grounder by the shortstop to plate Cook, which put App State up 2-0. Girk stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, but the Bison retired the next hitter to keep the score 2-0 in favor of the Mountaineers.
Neas needed just 13 pitches to retire Bucknell in the third inning. Through three innings of work, she had retired all but one of the 10 batters she faced. App State couldn't capitalize on Neas' solid start in its half of the third, but the Mountaineer defense sat down the Bison again in the fourth to maintain their advantage.
Gore posted the Mountaineers' third hit of the ballgame in the top of the fourth inning, lacing a double into left field, but a double play quickly ended the threat. The Bison used an error and a single to score an unearned run to trim their deficit to one after the fifth inning.
Marti Henkel reached base in the bottom of the fifth frame but was unable to score and Bucknell capitalized with three runs to take the lead in the sixth inning. A key fielding error with two outs and two runners on base scored two runs to put the Bison on top 4-2.
App State saw another hit sneak through the middle in its half of the sixth inning, but couldn't trim into its deficit as play moved to the seventh inning. Bucknell scored its fifth and final run of the contest to extend its lead to three on three Mountaineer miscues.
Trailing by three runs in their final at-bat, the Mountaineers saw Cook reach first base on a single to start the effort. After two outs were recorded by the Bison, Girk shot a double into left field to plate Cook, making it a two-run game with two outs. But the Bison maintained its composure and recorded the final out to seal the 5-3 win.
Game 1 Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
Bucknell: N/A
WP: Savannah Jones (3-2): 7 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned runs), 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Sejal Neas (2-4): 5.1 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs (1 earned run), 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Game 2: App State 3, Austin Peay 11 (6 Innings)
App State got out to an early 3-0 lead against the host school Austin Peay in Friday's nightcap, but back-to-back-to-back home runs by the Governors helped spark a six-run fifth inning to help the Governors take the lead. Austin Peay scored five more in the sixth inning to run-rule the Mountaineers.
McClain started the contest by reaching base via hit-by-pitch and was promptly moved into scoring position after Barrett doubled to right field. App State's second hit-by-pitch of the innings loaded the bases with one out, which helped Gore drive home McClain to help the Mountaineers take an early lead.
Sophie Moshos started game 2 in the circle for the Mountaineers and breezed through the Governors in the first on seven pitches. App State took the momentum from the scoreless inning and scored again in the second to extend its lead.
McIntyre was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, which was App State's third hit batsman of the contest.
Summer Simpson and Girk helped move McIntyre to third base with less than two outs, which sent McClain to the plate. The junior put the ball in play and raced to first base for an infield hit to score the Mountaineers' second run. Barrett stroked a two-out hit through the right side for her second hit of the game, but the Governors retired the side to end the inning.
Moshos quickly sat down Austin Peay in order in the bottom of the second, striking her first batter out in the process. App State went down quietly in the third inning, but Moshos kept the Governors out of the hit column again in the third to maintain App State's two-run advantage into the fourth. Moshos retired all nine hitters she saw through three frames.
App State struck again in the top of the fourth inning, using a solo home run by McIntyre to extend its lead. McIntyre's homer was the second of her career. The Governors retired the next three batters in order, but App State had started fast to take a three-run lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Governors saw their first baserunner reach in the fourth inning via a hit-by-pitch. Austin Peay also recorded its first hit in the fourth, a double to left, but Moshos left two runners stranded to close the inning.
After a scoreless inning on defense from Austin Peay, the Governor bats exploded for seven runs on eight hits to take the lead. Three straight homers to lead off the inning tied the contest at three. Then, the Governors saw six more baserunners reach consecutively, which helped plate three more runs.
The Mountaineers saw a single from Gore drop into center field in the top of the sixth, but couldn't answer the Governors' big inning. Austin Peay scored five more times in the sixth inning to run-rule App State on its home field. The Governors scored all 11 of their runs in the final two innings.
Game 2 Notes
Home runs
App: McIntyre (2)
APSU: Raper (6), Roberts (1), Hinton (6)
WP: Samantha Meiner (7-1): 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Ava Beamesderfer (1-2): 0 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
App State is set to continue play at the Cathi Maynard Invitational tomorrow with a doubleheader against Bucknell and UMass Lowell. The Mountaineers and River Hawks will meet for the first time ever on Saturday. App State's first game against the Bison is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET (10:30 a.m. CT) with the contest against UMass Lowell coming at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).
