By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Despite being held hitless through the first five innings, App State put together a four-run bottom of the eighth, capped by a go-ahead home run from Juan Correa, to lift the Mountaineers to a 5-4 comeback win over Charlotte at Smith Stadium on March 11.
With John Kramer at second base after his two-run double to cut a three-run deficit down to one, Correa waited back on an 0-2 breaking ball and launched his eighth home run of the season over the left-center field fence, to give the Mountaineers a 5-4 lead over his former team.
The App State (8-8) pitching staff was excellent throughout the ballgame. Jack Zang allowed just an unearned run in the first inning in his App State debut and Luke Oblen needed just seven pitches to retire the side in order in the second inning, making his first collegiate appearance. Zach Lewis followed with a 1-2-3 third.
Bradley Wilson was one of two App State pitchers to throw multiple innings in the ballgame, facing the minimum over two scoreless innings – the fifth and sixth.
Joseph Zamora broke up the no-hitter with a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Mountaineers stranded two runners in scoring position.
After falling behind 3-0, with Charlotte (7-7) scoring a run in the top of the seventh inning, App State broke up the shutout in the home half of the frame. Tyler Lichtenberger and Tyler Figueroa led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and later in the frame, Braxton Church plated a run on a sac fly to the warning track in right field – just missing out on a game-tying home run.
Dillon Moquin, who reached base all four out of the leadoff spot, began the ninth inning with a walk. After a 49ers’ pitching change, Zamora and Kramer hit back-to-back doubles, forcing the 49ers back to their bullpen ahead of the Correa go-ahead blast.
After conceding a solo home run to begin the top of the eighth, Liam Best bounced back to work the final two innings in relief, earning his first win as a Mountaineer, capped by a three-pitch strikeout to slam the door shut in the top of the ninth.
App State will begin Sun Belt play with a three-game series against Texas State. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. with the middle game on Saturday slated for 3 p.m. The series wraps up on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. in the finale. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
