BOONE, N.C. – After scoring six runs on the backs of home runs by
Makayla McClain,
Emilie Ching and
Madison Fletcher to take a five-run lead, the App State softball team looked like it had all the momentum heading into the late stages of Sunday's rubber match. But Southern Miss scored 11 unanswered runs over its next three at-bats, which helped it post a 13-10 victory to claim the series over the Mountaineers in Boone.
The Golden Eagles' (22-13, 4-2 SBC) bats came to life in a big way on Sunday, as they bashed a season-high six home runs. Southern Miss came into the game with only four home runs for the entire season, but the long ball played a big role in its comeback as it tallied three home runs in a six-run fourth inning to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish. App State's (21-9, 2-4 SBC) six home runs allowed marked the most it has given up since March 19, 2016.
It was an offensive show from both sides on Sunday, as App State also hit four home runs to mark a game total of 10 long balls from either side. For the series, the two teams combined to hit 19 home runs, with 12 coming off the bats of App State. The Mountaineers entered the weekend with 43 home runs this season, but now sit at 55 for the year, which is three shy of tying the single-season home run record of 58 that was set last season.
Of App State's four home runs in the final game of the series, two came off the bat of McClain to give her 16 for the year. She now sits just one home run back from tying the program's single-season home run record of 17 that was set by Katie Boyd in 2009. Six different Mountaineers hit at least one home run against Southern Miss.
How it Happened
As was the trend in Sunday's series finale, the Golden Eagles got on the board first with a two-run home run, as Jolie Hays hit her first home run of the game with two outs. App State answered in the bottom of the first with a McClain lead-off home run, her first of the day and 15th of the season, to pull App State within one, but Southern Miss retired the next three hitters to maintain its lead through one inning.
Neither side scored in the second inning, as
Camryn Fisher worked around a one-out single in the top half of the frame to post her first zero. Fisher then posted another scoreless inning in the third, and the Mountaineers responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning to take their first lead of the game.
As she did in her first at-bat, McClain unloaded on a solo home run to left-center field that tied the score to lead off the inning. After an out,
Grace Barrett and
Taylor Schafer reached base before Ching slammed a go-ahead three-run home run off the hitting facility in left field. This forced a Golden Eagle pitching change, which was greeted by another home run, this one from Fletcher, into right field, that propelled the Mountaineers ahead by five as play entered the fourth inning.
It didn't take long for Southern Miss to reclaim the lead, as it posted a six-run inning of its own on the backs of three home runs in the fourth inning. The Mountaineers couldn't answer in their half of the fourth, and the Golden Eagles tallied four more on five hits in the fifth inning to storm ahead by five.
Southern Miss scored its 11th straight unanswered run in the top of the sixth inning on an App State error to make the score 13-7, as play entered the final inning. The Mountaineers put up a strong fight in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring three runs thanks to a
Macy Hamby RBI and a Barrett two-run single with two outs to pull within three. But with the tying run standing at the plate, Southern Miss forced a groundout to third to end the game.
Sunday Notes
Home runs
App: McClain 2 (16), Ching (8), Fletcher (5)
USM: Hays 2 (2), Johnson (2), Christian (2), Bennett (3), Troquille (1)
WP: Madilyn Graham (7-4): 4.2 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 5 walks, 1 strikeout
SV: N/A
LP:
Camryn Fisher (12-5): 3.2 IP, 10 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Up Next
App State will continue its season-long six-game homestand by welcoming the Georgia State Panthers to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium next weekend for a three-game set. The series against the Panthers will serve as App State's alumni weekend. First pitch of the three-game series is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, and every game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
