Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Mountaineer Softball Splits Wild Doubleheader with ETSU
BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University softball split a mid-week non-conference doubleheader against East Tennessee State on Wednesday.
Game One: App State 7, ETSU 6
The Mountaineers (14-33) were down 1-0 in the third inning until Caroline Chambers singled home two runs. Later in the inning, Cara Parker contributed an RBI single to put App State up 3-1.
A four-run fifth inning would put the Buccaneers (13-30) up 5-3. ETSU got an RBI double, two-run single and a bases loaded walk to take the lead.
Appalachian matched the Bucs and put up four runs of their own in the bottom half. Heather Josey hit a two-run homer to left field - her sixth of the season to tie the game at 5-5. Two batters later after a Chambers walk, Parker blasted her sixth of the season onto the roof of the Sofield Indoor Facility to put the Apps in front 7-5.
The Bucs would tally one run in the sixth, but it wouldn’t be enough and App State would win Game One. Katie Williford started and pitched 4.1 innings. Williford was charged with four runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout.
In relief, Alissa Schoelkopf pitched one third of an inning and gave up one run on one hit, while walking three. Vanessa Ciocatto finished the final 2.1 innings and allowed just one run on three hits.
Parker led the Apps with three RBI, while Chambers and Josey each had two RBI each. Cynthia Gomez (Oxnard, Calif./Pacifica) contributed a team-high three hits.
Game Two: ETSU 14, App State 13
The Bucs flew out of the gates in the opening inning with three runs on four hits to take an early 3-0 lead. In the second, Appalachian put up four runs on two hits and three ETSU errors. Gomez had an RBI single and Chambers added a sac fly in the inning.
In what was a crazy third inning, a total of 14 runs were scored - each team scored seven in their own half of the inning. ETSU loaded the bases and started the scoring with a sac fly. What followed for the Bucs was a two-run double and two-run homer. App State committed three errors on one play and allowed an additional run to come home.
Down 10-4, App State turned in a seven run inning to take an 11-10 lead. Sarah Warnock tallied a two-run double after an unearned run came home on a Buccaneer error. Standing on second base, Warnock could walk home after Josey crushed her second home run of the day and seventh of 2015 for a two-run shot.
After the Josey homer, Chambers would single and then Parker followed suit with her second home run of the day and seventh of the season for the second two-run homer of the inning for the Mountaineers.
With an 11-10 advantage, the Apps would tally one in the fourth on a Gomez RBI single to extend the lead to 12-10. Two innings later, ETSU came back with four runs in the sixth off of four hits.
Down 14-12 in the seventh inning, Parker would send her third home run on the day over the left field wall for a solo shot to cut the deficit to 14-13. Unfortunately, that was all App State could muster and the rally fell one run short.
Parker led the team with three RBI in a 2-for-5 effort at the plate with two dingers. Gomez, Warnock and Josey all tallied two RBI each.
Ciocatto started the game and pitched 0.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks. Katherine Johnson pitched 1.2 innings and surrendered six runs (five earned) on four hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Williford pitched three full frames and let up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, while Schoelkopf pitched 1.2 innings and gave up one run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
The Mountaineers will finish their season on Saturday, May 2 when they host Atlantic Coast Conference NC State for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. from Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium. App State is 2-0 this season against the ACC with wins over UNC and Pittsburgh.
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Texas State Softball Drops Close Game To No. 25 Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas State softball dropped a close game Wednesday evening to No. 25 Texas A&M by a score of 2-1 in College Station, Texas. A pair of solo home runs were the lone runs for Texas A&M as Texas State could never overcome the two-run deficit after three innings of play.
Kimberlin Naivar hit an RBI single in the top of the fourth to score the lone run for Texas State.
Texas State jumped out of the gates early in the first, but struggled to score after loading the bases against the Aggies. Kelli Baker led the inning off for the Bobcats with a single through the left side and made her way over to third after an error and another single. A fly out and a double play ball ultimately would send the Bobcats out on defense.
The Aggies then took advantage in the bottom of the first as a solo home run to right center field gave Texas A&M a 1-0 lead.
That Aggie lead doubled in the bottom of the third on another solo home run, this time to left field.
A four pitch walk in the top of the fourth to Kortney Koroll provided the Bobcats with another base runner. Danielle Warne, a pinch runner for Koroll, stole her way around to third before scoring on an RBI single by Naivar to cut the Aggie lead to just one.
Texas A&M threatened to add more in the bottom half of the sixth after getting a runner on from a walk and moving her to second on a sacrifice bunt, but a leaping snag on a line drive by Ariel Ortiz at short was out number three to get Texas State out of the inning.
The score after four would prove to be the final as the Bobcats were unable to put another run on the board.
Randi Rupp was handed the loss in the contest after putting in three innings of work for the Bobcats. Kaylee Garner came in for three scoreless inning of relief for Rupp and struck out one.
The Bobcats will remain on the road this weekend for the final conference series of the 2015 regular season as they head to UT Arlington. First pitch in the Saturday doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Arlington, Texas. Sunday’s single game will start at 12 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com.