MONROE, La. – After the App State softball team took a first-inning lead thanks to a home run by
Grace Barrett, ULM scored one of its own in the bottom of the second to tie the score at one apiece. The game remained in that 1-1 tie until the 10th inning, as
Sophie Moshos and ULM's Skylar Waggoner dueled, but the Warhawks manufactured a run in the bottom of the 10th and walked off the Mountaineers 2-1 to sweep the series.
Despite taking the loss, Moshos was brilliant for App State (24-16, 4-11 SBC) on Sunday, as she hurled 7.2 innings and allowed just one run. Moshos had the Warhawks (29-18, 11-4) off balance all game, while also working around trouble to leave several ULM runners stranded. Moshos allowed just three runs in her two appearances in Monroe across 13.2 innings pitched.
App State saw the go-ahead run reach third base in the top of the ninth inning after
Leah Gore singled and
KB Bradshaw bunted her over to second. But as it had all series long, ULM left her stranded at third before inducing a 1-2-3 10th inning to win the game. The Warhawks did not allow a single App State hit with runners in scoring position across the three games, keeping the Mountaineers 0-17 in that situation.
How it Happened
App State drew the first blood in Sunday's series finale, as Barrett connected on a 1-2 pitch and kept her fourth home run of the season just inside the left-field foul pole. Moshos retired the Warhawks in order in the bottom of the first, using a slick double play on a popped-up bunt to do so, but App State couldn't add on in the second and kept its one-run lead into the bottom of the frame.
ULM led off the second inning with back-to-back hits – a triple and a single – to tie the score at one. App State saw runners reach second and third in the third inning after
Madison Fletcher singled and
Makayla McClain walked, but App State failed to score them, and the score remained tied.
Moshos mowed down ULM in order in the third, but App State couldn't generate a run in its next at-bat despite a
Julia Girk lead-off single. Moshos posted a scoreless fourth and fifth innings to keep the game tied before working around a one-out double in the sixth to send the contest to the final inning with the score tied.
After both sides went quietly in the seventh inning, play moved to extra innings, but App State couldn't plate the go-ahead run in its half of the eighth. ULM saw two runners reach base in the bottom of the eighth and threatened to plate the walk-off run. App State decided to remove Moshos from the game and went with
Camryn Fisher in the circle, who induced a weak line drive to short that was caught by Barrett. She then fired to first for a clutch double play to send the contest to the ninth inning with the score tied at one.
In the ninth, Gore led off with a single into center field to put the go-ahead run on base, but despite seeing her get to third after a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, ULM forced weak contact and left Gore at third base to keep the score tied. Neither side scored in their next at-bat, but in the bottom of the 10th, the Warhawks worked two walks to lead off the inning to put the winning run at second base. The Mountaineers went back to Moshos after the second walk, but ULM was ready and smacked a double into left-center to win the game in walk-off fashion.
Sunday Notes
Home runs
App: Barrett (4)
ULM: N/A
WP: Skylar Waggoner (14-8): 10 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Camryn Fisher (13-7): 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
App State will return home to open a four-game homestand with its final midweek competition of the season against N.C. Central on Wednesday. App State will then host James Madison for a weekend series at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium. Wednesday's game against the Eagles is slated to begin at 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
