CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Following a victory to open the day over Princeton, the App State Softball team entered the seventh inning against North Carolina trailing by two runs. Facing their final three outs, the Mountaineers saw an RBI groundout by
KB Bradshaw, after
Makayla McClain and
Julia Girk reached base, to pull within one run, before
Taylor Schafer delivered home the game-tying run with two outs to send the game to extras.
Despite the seventh-inning fight by App State (9-2), unbeaten North Carolina (13-0) kept the Mountaineers scoreless and hit a walk-off home run to win the game 5-3. App State's only two losses this season have come via a walk-off home run in extra innings.
App State opened the day with a tight, one-run win against Princeton (5-2). App State scored two runs in the first two innings before tallying a meaningful insurance run in the sixth inning after the Tigers had pulled within one run in the fifth. Then, after Princeton loaded the bases and scored in the bottom of the seventh inning,
Julia Girk made a remarkable running catch over her shoulder in center field to prevent extra bases, which stranded two Princeton runners and ended the game.
App State saw multi-hit games from three different players on Friday.
Grace Barrett totaled a team-high two hits and scored two runs against the Tigers, while McClain and
Leah Gore provided a multi-hit game in the nightcap. Additionally, App State's pitching duo of
Camryn Fisher and
Sophie Moshos combined to allow just seven runs in 15 innings of work.
How it Happened
App State 3, Princeton 2
The Mountaineers struck first to open their weather-delayed doubleheader with a Barrett one-out double and a Gore RBI single to take a 1-0 lead after a half inning. Fisher responded by working around two Princeton hits in the bottom of the first to keep App State's one-run lead intact through one.
App State added its second run in the top of the second courtesy of a
Dakota Daniel RBI groundout. Fisher posted another scoreless frame in the second and third innings to keep Princeton off the board, but App State couldn't muster any more offense as play moved into the fourth with the Mountaineers on top by two runs.
Fisher kept the Tigers out of the run column again in the fourth inning, but the Mountaineers couldn't capitalize on two baserunners in their half of the fifth to extend their lead. Princeton broke through with a run in the bottom of the fifth with two hits, but Moshos, who entered the game in the fifth inning, kept the Tigers to just one run, and App State led by one as action moved into the sixth inning.
Needing insurance, the Mountaineers found that in the form of a sacrifice fly by Schafer. The inning started with a crucial pinch-hit double by Bradshaw that put runners on second and third with nobody out, and after a strikeout, Schafer delivered home App State's third run. Moshos kept Princeton at bay in the sixth inning, which sent the game to the final frame with App State leading 3-1.
Girk singled in the seventh inning to start a two-out threat, but the Tigers stranded her. Facing its final chance, Princeton loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning and pulled within a run on an RBI groundout. Now with two outs, Moshos faced Maddie Ratcheson, who lined a shot into center field that threatened to plate the game-winning runs. But Girk raced back and made a game-saving catch over her shoulders that clinched a tight one-run victory to open the day.
Game 1 Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
PRIN: N/A
WP:
Camryn Fisher (5-0): 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
SV:
Sophie Moshos (2)
LP: Brielle Wright (0-2): 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
App State 3, North Carolina 5 (8 Innings)
Similar to the first game of the day, App State struck first in the nightcap courtesy of a lead-off home run by McClain on the fourth pitch of the game. The home run, her seventh of the season, went the opposite way and scaled the right field wall. App State saw Barrett reach after the homer, but North Carolina kept the Mountaineers off the scoreboard for the rest of the inning.
Fisher, who made her second start of the day, sat down the Tar Heels in order in the bottom of the first, but App State couldn't extend its lead in the second as UNC posted a 1-2-3 frame. Fisher kept North Carolina off the board again in the bottom of the second, working around two hits to do so.
McClain tallied her second extra-base hit of the game in the top of the third, and Bradshaw reached base via a walk to put two runners on base for the heart of App State's order. But the Tar Heels got a fielder's choice and a lineout to end the frame, and capitalized by taking the lead in the bottom of the third with two runs on three hits.
Seeing its first deficit of the day, App State generated a scoring threat with singles apiece by Gore and
Madison McIntyre to lead off the fourth frame. Facing a major scoring threat, UNC remained calm and retired the next three hitters to keep App State off the board. The Tar Heels scored again in the bottom of the fourth on a home run to extend their lead to 3-1 after four complete frames.
A scoreless fifth and sixth frame by both sides quickly sent action to the final inning with North Carolina holding a two-run lead. Down to their last three outs, the Mountaineers saw an infield hit by Girk and another double by McClain put two runners in scoring position for Bradshaw with nobody out. Bradshaw drove home App State's second run with an RBI groundout and put the tying run on third base with one out.
North Carolina retired the next hitter with a groundout, but Schafer punched a fly ball into left field that was misplayed and fell to the ground, which scored McClain and tied the game at three. Moshos sat down the Tar Heels in order in the bottom of the inning, and thanks to a huge comeback by the Mountaineers, this game needed extra innings to be decided.
App State couldn't capitalize on its momentum from the seventh inning and failed to score in the eighth to take the lead. North Carolina responded by hitting a walk-off two-run home run in its half of the eighth to win a close, hard-fought contest over App State.
Game 2 Notes
Home runs
App: McClain (7)
UNC: LeGette 2 (7), Blackwell (3)
WP: Lily Parrish (3-0): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Sophie Moshos (3-2): 3 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
App State will continue play in Chapel Hill with another doubleheader on Saturday. The Mountaineers will face Princeton to kick things off in a rematch from the weekend opener, before squaring off with Rider to close the day. First pitch against the Tigers is slated for 10 a.m. Both games can be followed along via Live Stats.
