BOONE, N.C. – Trailing by two with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the App State softball team faced one of the Sun Belt's top pitchers needing a rally to happen. It took just three pitches for that rally to happen as
Makayla McClain shot a double down the left-field line to put a runner in scoring position, and
Macy Hamby sent a game-tying two-run home run over the center-field wall, making the score 5-5 to force extra innings at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
In App State's first extra-inning game since April 5,
Sophie Moshos threw up a scoreless eighth, and
Taylor Chumbley delivered home
Grace Barrett from second with two outs in the bottom half, sealing a remarkable 6-5 comeback win for the Mountaineers on Thursday. The win also clinched the Mountaineers a spot in the 2025 Sun Belt Tournament, something they have not played in since 2022.
The Mountaineers (22-25, 12-10 SBC) had answers all game long when Coastal Carolina (36-16, 12-10 SBC) tallied run-scoring innings. App State trailed by as many as four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning but scored three times to make it a one-run game heading into the fifth inning. And when Coastal Carolina delivered a sixth-inning home run, Hamby had the response to tie the score in the seventh.
Chumbley came up huge in the series opener with the Chanticleers as she stroked three hits and drove home three runs, which included the walk-off single. Entering the weekend, Chumbley was hitless in each of her last 14 at-bats but broke through in a big way on Thursday. Additionally,
Marti Henkel provided an RBI hit in the fourth inning, and
Makayla McClain posted a two-hit game, her team-leading 17th multi-hit game of the season.
In the circle, the Mountaineers relied on their lefty for the entire game as
Sophie Moshos pitched all eight innings and helped keep App State in the game. Moshos struck out six hitters and allowed just four hits on 128 pitches. Her perfect top of the seventh inning allowed the Mountaineers to come to bat to tie the game before her scoreless eighth inning helped secure her 15th win of the season.
How it Happened
Taking the field first for the first time since April 13, Moshos and her defense sat down Coastal by working around a two-out walk. App State saw McClain walk in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't score as both sides threw up a first-inning zero.
Both teams went down in order in the second inning, and after Moshos threw up another scoreless frame in the third, App State threatened to crack the scoreboard. Chumbley led off the bottom of the third inning by taking first base on a hit-by-pitch before
Julia Girk reached safely on an infield hit. After a strikeout, McClain smacked a single into left field to load the bases with one out.
Doing what she has done all season long, Chanticleer starter Nicolette Piccone got Hamby out in front and forced an inning-ending double play to third base. Responding to its pitcher, Coastal Carolina struck for four runs in the top of the fourth to take a four-run lead. The Chanticleers hit two home runs in the inning.
Needing a response, App State again saw action in the bottom of the fourth as Barrett walked in front of a
Madison McIntyre double to put two runners in scoring position with one out for Henkel. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Henkel shot a grounder through the left side to plate Barrett, making the score 4-1. A batter later, Chumbley smacked a single that one-hopped the center-field wall to plate both McIntyre and Henkel. Just like that, it was a one-run game with one out in the fourth.
After Coastal struck the next hitter out,
Summer Simpson stepped to the plate with a runner on second and put a grounder in play to third that looked like it was going past the third baseman. However, the Chanticleer third baseman made an excellent diving play to throw out Simpson and end the inning, but not before App State scored three times.
Moshos answered her offense by throwing up a zero in the top of the fifth.
Leah Gore drew a two-out walk in the bottom half, but the Mountaineers didn't score, and action moved to the sixth with Coastal hanging on to a 4-3 advantage. The Chanticleers hit their third home run of the game to lead off the sixth, putting them ahead by two after 5.5 frames.
App State went down in order in its half of the sixth, but Moshos kept the score within two by working around a walk in the top of the seventh. Sending Picone back to the circle in the bottom of the inning, the Chanticleers quickly retired the first two batters, meaning McClain was App State's last chance.
With two outs, McClain shot a double down the left-field line, putting a runner on second for Hamby with two outs. Wasting no time, Hamby jumped all over the first pitch and shot a game-tying, two-run homer over the center-field wall, which sent the App State faithful into a frenzy. Coastal retired the last hitter, but this game needed extra innings to be decided.
The Chanticleers saw a one-out walk erased on a perfect throw by Henkel behind the plate, which sent the Mountaineers to the plate looking to walk it off. Still facing Picone, Barrett drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Coastal Carolina retired the next two hitters, and Chumbley stood to bat with a runner on second and two outs.
Despite falling behind 1-2 in the count, Chumbley didn't waver and deposited a low-and-away pitch through the hole up the middle, which drew the wave for Barrett at third base. Barrett dove home safely ahead of the throw, and the Mountaineers had won. For the second time this season, App State had won via walk-off.
Thursday Notes
Home runs
App: Hamby (8)
CCU: Keith (18), Metzger (9), Hood (16)
WP:
Sophie Moshos (15-8): 8 IP, 4 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP: Nicolette Picone (23-8): 7.2 IP, 8 hits, 6 runs, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts
Up Next
The Mountaineers and Chanticleers will continue their three-game series with Game 2 on Friday. First pitch is slated for noon, and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
