BOONE, N.C. – Trailing by one run as play entered the bottom of the third, the App State softball team needed a rally to even the series against Georgia State. What it found was a seven-run third inning and a four-run fourth inning that turned that deficit into a 10-run lead, which capped off an 11-1 run-rule victory on Saturday for the Mountaineers over the Panthers. That marked App State's sixth run-rule win at home this season.
The Mountaineers (22-10, 3-5 SBC) took the lead for good after
Grace Barrett poked a ball down the right-field line with the bases loaded that fell in front of a diving right fielder and rolled into the corner. All three runners scored on the hit, and an errant throw back into the infield allowed Barrett to scamper home for a little league home run. App State went on to score two more runs in the third inning after
Julia Girk laced a two-run single up the middle, which capped off an impressive seven-run onslaught.
Although their eight-game home run streak fell, the Mountaineers' ability to hit with runners on base against the Panthers (20-16, 2-6 SBC) on Saturday shined bright, as App State tallied six hits with runners in scoring position. Six different Mountaineers drove home at least one run in the win, with
Emilie Ching and Barrett leading the way.
Despite allowing a first-inning run,
Camryn Fisher bounced back from a pair of rough outings last weekend to pick up her 13th win of the season against Georgia State. Fisher allowed the first two batters of the game to reach base, but only gave up one hit for the rest of the game. The freshman retired 15 of the final 20 Panthers of the game after Georgia State's single with nobody out in the first inning.
How it Happened
The Panthers scored first with a safety squeeze to capitalize on a lead-off walk and a hit to take an early lead.
Makayla McClain led off the bottom of the first with a single, but Georgia State managed to retire the next three hitters to keep its one-run lead after one.
Fisher kept Georgia State off the scoreboard in the second, working around a lead-off walk to do so, but App State couldn't answer in the bottom of the frame to cut into its deficit. Fisher left two more runners stranded in the third by inducing a groundout, which sent play to the bottom of the inning with App State trailing by one.
The floodgates opened in a big way in the home half of the third, as
KB Bradshaw led off the inning with a single, Girk walked and McClain singled to center to load the bases with nobody out for
Macy Hamby. The Mountaineers' left fielder promptly tied the game with a knock up the middle, and Barrett cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple before scoring herself on an errant throw to put App State on top by four.
Looking to add on, Ching singled to put a runner on first with one out, and a Panther error extended the inning. Bradshaw drew a walk to load the bases yet again, and Girk scored two more to make the score 7-1. The final out was finally recorded, but App State had turned a one-run deficit into a seven-run lead on six hits.
App State's defense quickly retired the side in the top of the fourth, which brought its offense right back to the plate. Barrett led off the frame with a walk, and
Taylor Schafer reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners for Ching. After a stolen base to put two in scoring position, Ching deposited a two-run single into center to extend App State's lead to eight. Ching's two-RBI single marked her sixth run driven in on the weekend.
Not done yet, Gore shot a laser into left-center field that nearly missed a homer to score
Summer Simpson, who ran for Ching, from third. A groundout from Bradshaw plated yet another run, and Fisher worked around two free passes in the fifth inning to even the series and secure App State's 22nd win of the season.
Saturday Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
GSU: N/A
WP:
Camryn Fisher (13-5): 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP: Briana Bower (6-7): 3.2 IP, 6 hits, 6 runs (5 earned runs), 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Up Next
The Mountaineers will look to win the series in the rubber match with the Panthers on Sunday. Sunday's game is a gold out, and fans are encouraged to wear gold for the contest. First pitch is slated for noon, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
