By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — They may not have started out so good but they sure knew how to finish it. And a sell-out crowd on a chilly, blustery afternoon relished the experience.
Appalachian State fell to a 6-0 deficit to No. 13 ranked Coastal Carolina in the first two and a half innings on March 23 at Beaver Field and Smith Stadium, but they pretty much took care of business the rest of the way in a 16-8 romp past the Chanticleers.
Leftfielder and leadoff hitter C.J. Boyd capitalized on there being two runners on base in the bottom half of the third inning with a 3-run blast over the left field wall, but on this day it was the bottom of the Mountaineers’ batting order that had the hot bats. From centerfielder Banks Tolley batting in the No. 4 position, through catcher Braxton Church (No.5), first baseman Drew Holderbach (No. 6), shortstop Adam Quintero (No. 7), rightfielder Hunter Wilder (No. 8) and second baseman Joseph Zamora (No. 9), that quintet accounted for all but three of the 16 runs scored and all but four of the RBIs with their sizzling bats.
And then there was the Mountaineer pitching. Although starter Bradley Wilson, a redshirt junior righthander gave up seven runs in the first four innings, six of them recorded as earned runs, he settled down to blank the Chanticleers in the fifth before giving way to reliever Grey LaSpaluto to start the sixth inning. In his four innings on the mound, the senior righthander from Apex, N.C. gave up just one hit — a home run for the only run — while striking out five with no walks.
The fact that App State used only one relief pitcher on the afternoon could pay dividends when the two teams face each other again on Sunday (March 24) in a doubleheader. In contrast, Coastal Carolina used a total of five relief pitchers after the 3.1 innings of work by starter Alexander Meckley.
Down and Dirty
App State cut its early 6-0 deficit in half with three runs in the bottom half of the third inning. Quintero got things started with a double to left after working the count to 3-2 and scattering nine foul balls. Two batters later, Joseph Zamora singled through the right side, putting runners on the corners with Boyd coming to the plate. He didn’t waste any time. After a called ball on the first pitch, he drove the second pitch over the left field wall for his tenth dinger of the still young season.
The Mountaineers scored three more runs in the fourth frame, to almost match the early seven runs produced by the Chanticleers. After Church led off with a walk, Holderbach was hit by a pitch. When Quintero flied out to center, Church advanced to third to put runners on the corners — but that wouldn’t last long because Holderbach took advantage of there being a runner on third to steal second, putting two runners in scoring position with just one out. But then Wilder walked to load the bases, bringing up the ninth man in the batting order, Zamora. The junior from Miami promptly ripped a single up the middle, scoring both Church and Holderbach. One batter later, some alert base running by Wilder brought in the third run of the inning.
The Mountaineers were able to tie the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth but it was the sixth inning that proved pivotal.
Tolley homered to left center with a runner on to score the first two runs of the inning, but App State was just getting started. Church laced a double down the left field line, Holderbach singled, and Wilder was hit by a pitch to load the bases with Church scoring the third run of the inning. Then, when Quintero followed up with a walk, the wheels were already starting to come off the Coastal Carolina chariot. Zamora, who finished the day going 3-for-5 with five RBIs, doubled through the gap in right center, scoring Holderbach, Quintero, and Wilder — and giving Boone’s favorite sons a 13-7 lead.
Although LaSpaluto gave up his only run in the seventh inning, a solo home run by CCU second baseman Blake Barthol, the Mountaineers manufactured three more runs in the bottom half of the seventh to provide the final, 16-8 winning margin. LaSpaluto blanked the Chanticleers in the top half of the 8th inning and the 9th inning to secure the win.
Because of Friday’s rain-related postponement, Sunday will feature a doubleheader starting at noon. After the first game is finished, the second game will start approximately 30 minutes later.
TOP PERFORMERS
- APP – Joseph Zamora: 3-5, one run scored, 5 RBIs, 2B
- APP – Banks Tolley: 2-4, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, HR, 1 walk
- APP – C J Boyd: 1-3, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, HR, 3 walks
- CCU – Blake Barthol: 2-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, HR
- APP – Adam Quintero: 2-3, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B, 2 walks
- APP – Drew Holderbach: 2-4, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B, HBP
- CCU – Corey Zientek: 1-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 3B, 1 walk
- APP – Braxton Church: 1-4, 2 runs scored, 2B, 1 walk
- APP – Grey LaSpaluto: WP (now 3-0), 4.0 innings, 1 hit, 1 run (solo HR), 5 strikeouts
- CCU – Sam Antonacci: 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI
- CCU – Zach Beach: 1-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, HR
BOX SCORE
