GREENSBORO, N.C. – Makayla McClain delivered a day for the ages on Friday in Greensboro by hitting two grand slams in the first three innings of App State Softball's contest against Columbia, which helped lead to a 12-0 win in five innings. App State then wrapped up the day by run-ruling Fairfield to sweep the doubleheader and move to 7-0 on the season.
To put into context what McClain did in the first game of the doubleheader, only 13 MLB players have ever hit two grand slams in a game. McClain finished 2-2 against the Lions (0-1) with a career-best eight RBIs and reached base six times across the doubleheader.
App State (7-0) played two complete games on Friday as it outscored its two foes 21-1, while tallying 19 hits. McClain and
Julia Girk paced the Mountaineers with four hits apiece for the doubleheader, while
Leah Gore posted a three-RBI contest against Fairfield (2-3), and
Madison McIntyre and
Dakota Daniel both drove home two runs across the doubleheader.
In addition to the offense,
Camryn Fisher bounced back well from her rough outing yesterday against UNCG to pick up two wins on Friday. She pitched every inning of the doubleheader and allowed just one run and five hits. Fisher now sits at 4-0 on the season, which puts her in a tie for first place in the Sun Belt.
How it Happened
App State 12, Columbia 0 (5 Innings)
Neither team scored through the first inning of the doubleheader, but App State generated the first chance in the second inning after Gore, McIntyre, and Girk reached base to load the bases for McClain. McClain promptly unloaded the bases by hitting a grand slam to right field for her second home run of the weekend. Columbia got out of the inning, but App State led 4-0 after two frames.
The Mountaineers broke the game open in the third inning with six runs on three hits.
Emilie Ching reached base to open the inning, and Gore and McIntyre walked to load the bags yet again. Daniel delivered home runs five and six for App State with a single into right field to score Gore and
Emersyn Presutty, who pinch ran for Ching. Then, Girk singled on a bunt to load the bases for McClain with one out.
What happened next is something that few others have done. Facing a 3-2 count. McClain lifted a ball to deep center field that sailed over the wall for a grand slam. With only one out gone in the third inning, McClain had two home runs and eight RBIs.
Summer Simpson and
Grace Barrett received free passes to put two aboard after the grand slam, but the Lions escaped the jam to send action to the third inning.
Now with a 10-run lead, Fisher worked around a one-out walk to keep Columbia off the board, and the Mountaineers scored their 11th run in the top of the fourth courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Barrett. Fisher tallied another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, which App State answered with another run to make it 12-0.
Needing three outs to clinch a run-rule win, Fisher allowed a walk and a double to put two in scoring position, but responded with a strikeout and a groundout to end the game. Fisher's effort secured her first career shutout.
Game 1 Notes
Home runs
App: McClain 2 (5)
COL: N/A
WP:
Camryn Fisher (3-0): 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP: Charlotte Laidler (0-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 earned runs), 0 walks, 1 strikeout
App State 9, Fairfield 1 (5 Innings)
Fairfield opened the scoring in Game 2 of App State's doubleheader by drawing a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the first. App State didn't let that lead last long as it tallied two runs in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI groundout by Gore and a stolen base by McClain. Fisher then posted a clean top of the second to keep App State's one-run lead into the bottom of the second inning.
The Mountaineers plated two more in the second to soar ahead by three through two frames. Girk led off the inning with a double that set up an RBI single for Barrett. Then, Ching shot a double into right field that scored Barrett, and the Mountaineers led 4-1 after two innings.
Fisher kept App State's three-run lead intact through the third and the fourth innings, allowing just one baserunner in her two scoreless frames. App State scored another run in the fourth on a
Taylor Schafer RBI double that scored Gore from second, which sent play to the fifth with the Mountaineers ahead by a run.
App State's defense tallied an efficient fifth inning, which immediately sent the offense back to bat. Despite Fairfield recording the first two outs in rapid succession, App State applied pressure and scored four times to walk off the Stags in run-rule fashion a few batters later.
McClain started the rally with a single and stole second before Barrett and Ching reached to load the bases for Gore. Gore promptly scored McClain and Barrett to make it 7-1 with two outs. Needing two runs to end the game, McIntyre shot a single through the right side that plated two, allowing App State to walk off with another win.
Game 2 Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
FAIR: N/A
WP:
Camryn Fisher (4-0): 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP: Alyssa Weinberg (1-2): 4.2 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned runs), 3 walks, 1 strikeout
Up Next
The Mountaineers are set to conclude The Spiro Classic on Saturday with another doubleheader, facing off with Columbia and UNCG for the second time this weekend. App State will kick off the day at 10 a.m. against the Lions before wrapping up play at 3 p.m. against the Spartans. Both games can be followed along via Live Stats.
