By Jacob Plecker. ELON, N.C. — On day two of the Elon Softball Classic, the App State Mountaineers dropped a pair of contests with the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks at Hunt Softball Park.
The Mountaineers (0-3) started the day strong, scoring the first two runs in the fourth inning of game one and taking their first lead of the season. Taylor Thorp started the inning with a double and three straight hits from Killian Roberts, Olivia Cook and Sidney Martin brought home a pair of runs. Cook’s fourth-inning knock marked her first hit in a Mountaineer uniform.
Game 1 saw Sejal Neas make her first start of the season for the Mountaineers, going six strong. Neas pitched well, shutting out the RedHawks through the first four innings while striking out three. But a grand slam off the bat of Sami Bewick capped off a five-run inning to give the RedHawks the lead for good.
App State tallied seven hits against Miami (4-0) starting pitcher Addy Jarvis and did well to battle against the good pitcher. Jarvis struck out five in the game.
The Mountaineer offense struggled in Game 2, tallying just three hits and one run. Saturday’s nightcap against the RedHawks was highlighted by Peyton Darnell’s third-inning solo shot to left field, marking her second home run in as many days. The graduate transfer was the lone Mountaineer to post a multi-hit outing in game two.
Alannah Hopkins started game two for App State, marking her first start of the season. The RedHawks scored 10 runs in the first two innings to take control early and never looked back.
How it Happened
Game 1: Miami (Ohio) 5, App State 2
Neas’ night started strong in the first game as she struck out the first hitter she saw. Neas walked a hitter in the inning, but she was able to keep them stranded.
Killian Roberts slapped App State’s first hit of the doubleheader and marked the first baserunner for the Mountaineers. Roberts got as far as second base in the inning but a Macy Hamby flyout ended the threat.
The RedHawks found some offensive action in the third as Reagan Bartholomew and Chloe Parks each reached via singles. But Neas settled back in, retiring the next two hitters to end the inning. Neas’ two strikeouts were key in eliminating the RedHawk threats in the first two innings.
After Neas retired the RedHawks in order in the third, App State found its offense in their half of the fourth, tallying four hits and scoring two runs. The inning started with Thorp, who bashed a ball down the left-field line as she cruised into second for a double. Hits by Cook and Roberts helped bring in App State’s first run and a fourth hit from Martin drove in a second. Each run scored in the inning was scored with nobody out.
Martin stole second base to put another runner in scoring position, but Jarvis settled back in and retired the next three hitters to end the frame. Despite that, the Mountaineers led 2-0 after four.
Now with a lead, Neas continued her great start, recording two quick outs in the bottom of the fourth. The RedHawks got two runners on courtesy of a walk and a single, but the Mountaineer starter struck out Shelby Kunkel to strand two more.
Miami’s offense clicked in the fifth inning as it scored all five of its runs in the frame. The first Miami run came courtesy of Jenna Golembiewski who hit an RBI double into left to trim the deficit to one. After a walk to Karli Spaid, Sami Bewick brought home four runs with a grand slam to take a 5-2 lead. Neas did well to leave the deficit at three as she retired the next three batters in order, picking up another strikeout of Chloe Parks to end the inning.
Neas ended up finishing what she started, but the App State offense couldn’t crack Jarvis to end the game as it fell 5-2.
Game 1 Notes
Home runs
App: none
Miami: Bewick (2)
WP – Addy Jarvis (2-0): 7 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Sejal Neas (0-1): 6 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
Game 2: Miami (Ohio) 12, App State 1
Despite a solo shot to left field by Peyton Darnell, the Mountaineers fell in game two 12-1. The RedHawks scored 10 runs in the first two innings to take a commanding lead. Darnell tallied two of App State’s three hits in the game, but the rest of the offense couldn’t follow suit in the loss.
Golembiewski started game two off with a bang as she hit a two-run home run down the left-field line. The RedHawks scored twice more to extend their lead to four by the end of the frame.
The Mountaineers answered with two hits in the bottom of the first courtesy of Martin and Darnell, but a fielder’s choice and a ground out ended the threat.
Miami scored six more times in the top of the second, using six hits to get there.
The RedHawks scattered two more runs in the third, but in the bottom of the inning, the Mountaineers answered with a two-out solo homer from Darnell. Darnell’s homer marks her 34th career long-ball and second in as many days.
After the run by the Mountaineers, Ashley Hitchcock, Miami’s starter, settled back down and closed the game out, recording the win.
Game 2 Notes
Home runs
App: Darnell (2)
Miami: Golembiewski (3), Kunkel (1), Spaid (2)
WP – Ashley Hitchcock (2-0): 3 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
SV – N/A
LP – Alannah Hopkins (0-1): 0.1 IP, 2 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
The Mountaineers conclude play at the Elon Softball Classic on Sunday, squaring off with the host Elon. First pitch from Hunt Softball Park is set for 2:30 p.m. and can be streamed on FloSoftball.
