MOBILE, Ala. – Down a run and down to its final out in the ninth inning of game two of a doubleheader against South Alabama, App State Baseball tied the game to forced extra innings and then took the lead in the 10th but ultimately came up on the short end of an extra-inning loss and a doubleheader sweep.
App State (21-28, 11-15) fell to South Alabama (21-26, 10-16) 12-1 in seven innings in game one and 6-5 in 12 innings in game two.
Game 1
After the Mountaineers scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning, South Alabama scored 12 unanswered to take the first game of the doubleheader in seven innings.
App State loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but was unable to push a run across despite a single from
Riley Luft and walks to
Jonathan Xuereb and
Kameron Miller. Miller reached base all four times he came to the plate, working three walks and drawing a hit by pitch.
After the Mountaineers were unable to take advantage of their opportunity in the top of the seventh, the Jaguars made the most of the home half of the frame. South Alabama scored seven runs on a three-run home run from Kyle Morrison, a solo shot from Lucas Ismaili, and a walk-off three-run blast from Ty Brooks.
App State opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the first.
Joseph Zamora singled into center field and Miller was hit by a pitch, setting up
Juan Correa who smacked a sharp ground ball off the Jaguars' shortstop and into the outfield to bring home Zamora.
App State had few chances to plate runs thereafter, registering just three hits in the contest and putting the leadoff man aboard just once in seven trips to the plate. Luft led the way with two hits in the contest.
Caleb Cross started the ballgame and retired the first six batters he faced (helped by web gems from Zamora and Luft) before allowing a four-run third inning.
Conner Barozzino rolled a critical double play ball to strand all three inherited runners in the fifth inning.
Game 2
Trailing for the majority of the contest, App State faced bases empty and two outs in the top of the ninth inning.
Tyler Figueroa, coming off the bench for the first time this season, delivered a pinch hit single and
Dillon Moquin followed with an RBI triple into the right field corner to knot the score at 3-3.
Bradley Wilson, who worked an impressive 6.2 innings in relief and struck out five, got exceptional play from his defense in the bottom of the ninth inning, with
Riley Luft making a game-saving catch in left field and the Mountaineer infield turning a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to force extra innings.
Kameron Miller gave the Mountaineers their first lead of the contest with a mammoth two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning, plating
Joseph Zamora who led off the inning with a single.
South Alabama responded with three straight two-out doubles in the bottom of the tenth inning to level the score at 5-5. The Jaguars ultimately won the ballgame on a walk-off single from Ty Brooks in the 12th – his second walk-off hit of the day.
Tanner McCammon enjoyed a career day at the plate for the App State offense. The sophomore recorded a career-high four hit game, notching two doubles and his first collegiate home run, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Zamora, Miller and
Juan Correa all registered two-hit efforts.
Liam Best started the ballgame and struck out four, yielding two runs in 3.1 innings before turning the ball over to Wilson.
Reyn Watson relieved Wilson in the 11th and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work.
After falling behind 2-0 in the contest, App State struck for a run in the sixth to get on the board. McCammon doubled to center, advanced on a groundout from
Tyler Lichtenberger and came into score on a sac fly from Zamora.
McCammon then homered in the eighth inning to bring the Mountaineers within one at 3-2 after the Jags had added on an insurance run in the home seventh.
App State will look to salvage the series finale which has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The 2025 App State baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
