App Splits Midweek Bout vs. Morehead State
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball won 4-2 in walk-off fashion for game one before dropping the nightcap against Morehead State by a score of 7-0.
The Mountaineers are now 7-24 on the season while the Eagles sit at 14-10 overall. For the day, a trio of Apps recorded multiple hits including Cara Parker (2-for-5), Pepper Butler (2-of-5) and Natalie Orcutt (2-for-6).
Orcutt extended her team-best hitting streak to eight games and remains first on the squad in average at .375. Heather Josey's hitting streak was snapped at 10 games without a base knock in the second contest.
Game One: App State 4, Morehead State 2
Junior Cara Parker came in clutch and gave the Mountaineers their first walk-off win of the season with a two-run bomb to left center that give them a 4-2 win over the Eagles.
Parker moved up to pass Heather Josey (30) for first on the team in RBI with 32, hitting in all four runs for the Black and Gold. The second baseman also moved into first place on the team for multi-hit games with 10 and collected her ninth multi-RBI game of the season.
Appalachian hadn’t allowed a hit until the top of the third inning when Morehead State’s Ellen Barrett knocked a solo home run to right center to get the Eagles on the board first.
After getting out of the top half with only allowing one more hit, the Mountaineers responded in the bottom half. Josey reached on an error before Parker doubled down the left field line to send in both Josey and Jenny Dodd.
The pitching dual would continue as Vanessa Ciocatto (5-11) relieved Annaleise Kennedy to pitch the rest of the game, but not before Morehead State evened up the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The score would stay tied at two apiece until the seventh where the Mountaineers got the visitors to go three up, three down in the top half.
Moving to the final half inning and the game still tied, Josey lasered a standup double into left field to get into scoring position before Parker came up to the plate. With a hitter's count of 2-0, Parker launched one deep over the fence to give Appalachian the win.
Game Two: Morehead State 7, App State 0
For the second game, Morehead State scored four runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and one more in the seventh. The home team managed only four hits off of Eagle hurler Allison Rager (7-2), who went the distance with four hits given up, four walks and 10 strikeouts.
Ciocatto (5-12) started and lasted 3.1 innings before relief work from Kennedy (2.0 innings pitched) and Claire Eosso (1.2 innings pitched). The four Mountaineer hits came from Orcutt (1), Dodd (1) and Butler (2).
Next up, the Mountaineers will host South Alabama for two on Friday (3:30 p.m. start) and one on Saturday (11 a.m.).
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JAGS DOUSE BLAZERS ON THE ROAD
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball jumped ahead of UAB early and defended a two-run lead for four innings behind the one-two pitching punch of Destin Vicknair and Devin Brown to defeat the Blazers, 3-1, in Birmingham on Tuesday.
South Alabama (15-10, 3-2 SBC) outhit the Blazers, 9-3, as seven Jaguars recorded a hit and USA extended its current winning streak to five games.
USA returns to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when the Jags travel to Boone, N.C., for a three-game set on Friday and Saturday. Links to live stats, video and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page.
In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
The Jaguars opened up scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, beginning with Haleigh Lane's RBI single to left field, which scored Haleigh Lowe, who led off the frame with a walk. Alex Breeden followed with an RBI base hit to right center to plate Kristian Foster, who singled earlier in the inning.
UAB cut the Jags' two-run lead in half in the bottom of the second on Kelly Britt's two-out double to right center, which scored Sara Beth Williamson, who reached on a fielder's choice.
In the top of the third, Lowe singled up the middle to score Stephanie Pilkington, who doubled with two away, as USA took reestablished its two-run lead, 3-1.
Vicknair retired nine of the next 10 Blazer batters she faced, until Brown entered the circle in the bottom of the sixth. The Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Co-Pitcher of the Week mowed down six of the final seven UAB batters – three by strikeout – to secure her second save of the season.
Vicknair improved to 7-3 with the win after scattering three UAB hits and allowing one run (earned) with a strikeout and no walks. Brown threw two shutout innings, struck out three and walked one.
UAB starter Cara Goodwin dropped to 6-5 with the loss after giving up three runs (all earned) on seven hits with a walk and strikeout in five innings. Reliever Megan Smith struck out two and allowed two hits in a pair of shutout innings.
Emily Messer and Alex Breeden led USA at the plate with two hits apiece, the former recording her 14th multiple-hit game of the season and extending her hitting streak to 12 games. Breeden, Lane and Lowe each supplied an RBI apiece. Kaleigh Todd went 1-for-4 and has reached safely in her last 12 games.
South Alabama moves to 2-0 versus the Blazers this season - USA defeated the Blazers, 4-0, in Mobile to open the season on Feb. 11 - and 11-2 over UAB all-time.