BOONE, N.C. — Western Carolina used a two-run fifth inning and five-run sixth to pull away from App State Baseball in a 13-3 loss by the Mountaineers on Tuesday night at Smith Stadium.
App State (10-6) opens Sun Belt Conference play this weekend at home against No. 16 Coastal Carolina (10-6), starting with the series opener Friday at 6 p.m.
Western Carolina (11-6) followed a midweek win at No. 8 Georgia last week with another midweek victory on the road. The Catamounts also have wins against Troy and East Carolina this season.
Jonathan Xuereb,
Drew DuPont and
Riley Luft had two hits apiece for the Mountaineers on Tuesday.
DuPont scored on a Luft double in the fourth to trim App State's deficit to 2-1.
The Catamounts scored two unearned runs in the fifth following a dropped throw in which the ball easily beat the runner attempting to steal second with two away. App State had a chance to record an out on a hard-hit ball up the middle with one out in the sixth, but the bases were loaded when the next batter reached on a dropped pop-up between three converging defenders.
One run scored on that play, and Western's Walker Fox followed a strikeout with a three-run homer.
App State scored twice in the seventh, when Luft raced home on a
Jalen Seward double and
Nico Soul added a sacrifice fly.
The 2026 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
