BOONE, N.C. – After taking the lead on a two-run home run by
Emilie Ching in the fourth inning, James Madison answered by scoring six runs in the top of the fifth to take a five-run lead. The Dukes took that five-run advantage into the final inning and looked to have all the momentum on their side. But then, the cardiac App State softball team struck.
App State (27-17, 6-12 SBC) used a solo home run, four walks, a hit by pitch and a single by
KB Bradshaw to score six runs in the bottom of the seventh and walk off James Madison (21-22, 8-10 SBC) by a final score of 10-9. App State tied the score without the benefit of a hit after JMU recorded the first two outs of the inning.
Grace Barrett started the rally with a solo home run before Bradshaw ended the game with a single into center.
The Mountaineers' comeback win wouldn't have been possible without the work of
Bel Varadi, who stymied the James Madison offense over the final 2.1 innings to earn her first career win. Varadi allowed just one hit and struck out a batter, while also working around trouble to keep App State within striking distance.
Additionally, Sunday's victory over James Madison marked head coach
Whitney Jones' 50th win as App State's head coach. Jones became the fastest App State head coach to reach 50 career wins, doing so in just 94 games. The Mountaineers stand just four wins shy of matching the program record of 31 with six regular-season games remaining.
How it Happened
Sophie Moshos, App State's starter, had her good stuff working early on, as she posted a first-inning zero with a strikeout. The Mountaineers capitalized by scoring the game's first run to take the lead courtesy of a Barrett RBI groundout that followed singles by
Macy Hamby and
Julia Girk. Moshos posted a perfect second inning on just nine pitches to preserve that lead through 1.5 frames.
App State plated another run in the bottom of the second inning, using an RBI single by
Taylor Schafer to score
Madison Fletcher from second. The Mountaineers' defense worked to strand a one-out Duke walk in the third, but they couldn't score themselves in the bottom of the inning despite seeing hits apiece from
Makayla McClain and Hamby.
James Madison answered App State's strong start by taking the lead with a three-run fourth, using a two-run home run and a two-out single to do so. It didn't take long for App State to take the lead back, however, as Fletcher singled in front of a long two-run home run by Ching. Looking to add more runs, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with a single and two walks, but a nice play off a deflection at first base by James Madison kept the score 4-3 as play entered the fifth.
A six-run barrage, headlined by two home runs, by James Madison helped it take a five-run lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. Varadi limited the damage and ended the inning, but App State couldn't respond despite getting a single by
Emersyn Presutty with one out.
Both sides went quietly in the sixth inning, and Varadi retired JMU in the top of the seventh to keep App State within five heading into its final at-bat. Needing five runs to tie and six to win, the mayhem officially ensued in the bottom of the inning.
Barrett led off the final frame with a home run to left field to pull the Mountaineers back within four. Then, Bradshaw reached on a throwing error, and Fletcher singled up the middle to put two on and nobody out. James Madison made a pitching change, but it proved the wrong move as Ching walked to load the bases, and
Madison McIntyre was hit by the first pitch she saw in her pinch-hit appearance to bring home App State's sixth run of the game.
Still with nobody out, Schafer looped a sinking liner into short left field that bounced off the shortstop's glove, but needing to freeze on the basepaths, JMU still recorded an out at third despite a run crossing the plate. Now trailing by two, the Dukes struck out the next batter for the second out, but McClain, Hamby and Barrett each worked walks to score two runs and tie the game at nine.
The Dukes decided to make the move back to their starter in the circle to face Bradshaw with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. After taking a ball and a strike, Bradshaw showed poise and laced a 1-1 pitch into center field to score McClain from third. When McClain crossed the plate, the team mobbed Bradshaw as she rounded first base. The comeback had been completed, and the Mountaineers had claimed a 10-9 victory to win the series against James Madison.
Sunday Notes
Home runs
App: Ching (11), Barrett (5)
JMU: Gleason (3), List (7), Henzler (5)
WP:
Bel Varadi (1-2): 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
SV: N/A
LP: Payton List (6-12): 0.2 IP, 0 hits, 3 runs (0 earned runs), 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Up Next
The Mountaineers will now turn their attention to their final road trip of the regular season, taking to Statesboro, Ga., to face Georgia Southern next Friday-Sunday. App State and Georgia Southern are currently tied in the Sun Belt standings. Action against the Eagles is slated to start at 6 p.m. on Friday, and all three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
