BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Fueled by back-to-back home runs to lead off the game and a complete-game shutout in the circle by
Sophie Moshos, the App State Softball team rolled past the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in Boiling Springs to earn their first midweek win of the season 8-0. The Mountaineers (16-21, 6-6 SBC) smacked 14 hits in Wednesday's game, tying their season high for hits in a game, which was set on March 29 against James Madison.
App State saw three different players record three-hit games against the Runnin' Bulldogs (18-24) in
Makayla McClain,
Macy Hamby and
Marti Henkel. Additionally, two players drove home at least two runs as McClain drove in three runs and
Julia Girk produced two RBIs from the eight-hole in the App State lineup. McClain's three RBIs marked her 12th game this season with at least two RBIs, which leads the team.
In her team-leading 18th start of the season, the Mountaineers got one of Moshos' best starts of the year as she posted a complete-game shutout on just 96 pitches. The lefty struck out seven hitters and did not let a single runner get past second base in the game. The win marked her 11th victory of the season, which puts her in a tie for eighth place on App State's single-season wins list.
The Mountaineers' eight runs scored against the Runnin' Bulldogs marked the sixth game in the team's last seven outings that they have scored eight runs or more. Over the last seven games, App State has scored 62 runs, good for an average of 8.9 runs per game. Additionally, homers by McClain and Hamby marked App State's 14th and 15th home runs in its last seven games, meaning the Mountaineers are hitting 2.1 homers a game since March 28.
How it Happened
For the second time this season, McClain and Hamby went deep in back-to-back at-bats to open the Mountaineers' first midweek contest of the season. McClain struck for her home run on the second pitch of the game, giving her an even 10 for the year which puts her in a tie for eighth place on the Mountaineers' single-season home runs list. A pitch later, Hamby struck for her sixth home run of the year, putting two runs on the board for App State before Gardner-Webb recorded an out.
The Runnin' Bulldogs were able to stem the tide and kept App State to just the two first-inning runs, but Moshos began her dominant day in the circle by tossing a perfect first inning, punching out two in the process. The Mountaineers saw two runners reach in the top half of the second thanks to a single by Henkel and a walk to Girk, but couldn't capitalize, sending action to the bottom of the second with App State on top by two.
Moshos allowed her first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the second but sat down two in a row via strikes to retire the side. Gardner-Webb worked around two singles by Hamby and
Leah Gore to lead off the inning to throw up another zero in the third, but couldn't answer on offense as Moshos posted another perfect inning.
App State went quietly in the fourth inning, but Gardner-Webb couldn't crack the Mountaineers' standout lefty as Moshos posted her fourth zero in a row. App State built upon the strong start and scored an insurance run in the fifth inning to extend its lead.
McClain led off the inning by shooting a hard-hit single into left field, and then Hamby legged out an infield hit to put two on for Gore. Gore worked a deep count and shot a hard liner at the shortstop that made it to the outfield and plated McClain. The Runnin' Bulldogs kept the damage to the one run, but the Mountaineers led by three after four and a half.
Despite seeing a one-out single and a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the inning, Moshos used her defense to keep Gardner-Webb off the scoreboard as
Summer Simpson ran down a hard-hit ball into the right-field corner to strand two on base. App State scored yet again in the top of the sixth inning, using two more hits to do so.
Henkel led off the frame by lacing a double into left-center field, her second hit of the game. A batter later, Girk shot a single up the middle, which drew the wave for Henkel around second, and she beat the throw in to plate the Mountaineers' fourth run. Moshos kept the momentum in favor of App State in the bottom half of the inning by stranding a leadoff single at first base, which kept the Mountaineers' four-run lead intact into the final inning.
The Mountaineers sent nine hitters to the plate in the seventh inning and plated four runs to blow this game wide open. Gardner-Webb recorded the first out quickly, but a single by
Madison McIntyre, a walk to
Hannah Forbes, an RBI single by Henkel, an RBI double by Girk and a two-run single by McClain plated four more runs with one out. App State's four-hit barrage in the final inning gave it 14 for the game, which tied a season high.
Looking to finish what she started, Moshos trekked back to the circle for the bottom of the seventh and fired a clean inning to get the win. It was Moshos' second shutout of the season, which is tied for the third-most in the Sun Belt Conference.
Wednesday Notes
Home runs
App: McClain (10), Hamby (6)
GWU: N/A
WP:
Sophie Moshos (11-6): 7 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP: Anna Hornbaker (6-5): 0 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
App State will take the field again in just 48 hours as it opens a pivotal three-game series in Boone with the ULM Warhawks, which enters the weekend in a tie for second place in the Sun Belt standings. App State and ULM will square off for the first time since 2022 when play kicks off Friday. Friday's and Sunday's games are slated to start at noon while Saturday's game will start at 2 p.m. Admission to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium is free.
