Category: College

Special Report from App State Athletics. BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated a year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the 2025 APPSPY Awards this week.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, with Samantha LaFon (women’s basketball) and Tucker Sangster (men’s cross country/track & field) being the lead emcees. SAAC members, coaches and staff members from App State Athletics voted on various awards, which resulted primarily from accomplishments during the 2024 spring, fall and winter seasons.

• Myles Tate (men’s basketball) won Male Athlete of the Year, while Jasmine Donohue (women’s cross country/track & field) and Savannah Dada-Mascoll (tennis) were named Female Athletes of the Year.
  • Tate was named a first-team All-Sun Belt and second-team all-district performer after leading the Mountaineers in scoring, assists and steals while ranking second on the team in rebounding. He was the only Division I player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
  • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Ethan Lipham (cross country/track & field), Will Miller (wrestling), Kaedin Robinson (football) and Banks Tolley (baseball).
  • Donohue’s third-place individual finish helped lead App State to a Sun Belt Championship in women’s cross country, and she was the top individual scorer at the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing first in the 5,000 meters, second in the 3,000 meters and third in the mile.
  • Dada-Mascoll, meanwhile, had a 17-2 singles record at the No. 1 spot following a Sun Belt tournament in which she helped lead the Mountaineers to a No. 2 seed. She became the first App State player selected to play in ITA All-American Championships and was part of App State’s first doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
  • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Lise Boekaar (field hockey), Kayt Houston (softball), Maya Winterhoff (volleyball) and Izzi Wood (soccer).
• Coach of the Year honors went to Brad Herbster (men’s cross country) and Annie Richards (women’s cross country). The Mountaineers swept those Sun Belt titles, with the men repeating as champions and the women prevailing for the first time since 2018. It was App State’s first league sweep since 2012.
• There were two Most Exciting Win recipients, with the Sun Belt cross country sweep being recognized along with freshman heavyweight wrestler Stephan Monchery’s last-match victory that secured a third straight SoCon Championship tournament team title for App State.
• The inaugural Mountaineer Cup went to field hockey, which won a MAC regular season title, while CJ Huntley (men’s basketball) was named Mr. Yosef and Grace Ball (field hockey) was named Ms. Yosef. Huntley and Ball each played five seasons for the Mountaineers.
• The festivities also included the addition of Comeback Player of the Year awards, with those going to Bryson Terrell (wrestling) and Sarah Widderich (soccer). They both were starters who came back strong from ailments or injuries earlier in their careers.
• Thornton Gentry (football) won the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
• Dianna Boykin (women’s track & field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
• The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to Sarah Callery (field hockey). That scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
• The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women’s golf (cumulative GPA of 3.75 following the 2024 fall) and men’s cross country (cumulative GPA of 3.42 following the 2024 fall), while cheerleaders Shi Barnhardt and Andrew Mehringer won Julia Adams Scholarships.
• Women’s track & field/cross country won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Jordan Tomberlin was the winner of the Ron “Doc” Kanoy Award and Scott Crothers received the Jack Branch Award.

Along with SAAC members presenting awards, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin provided opening remarks.

All for App Awards:

Baseball — Braxton Church
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Ethan Johnson
Men’s Cross Country — Calbert Guest
Men’s Basketball — CJ Huntley
Men’s Golf — Colin Browning
Men’s Track & Field — Patrick Freeman
Soccer — Gracie Giacoletto
Softball — Summer Simpson
Spirit — Ashley Macom
Tennis — Naledi Manyube
Women’s Basketball — Samantha LaFon
Women’s Cross Country — Lauren Johnston
Women’s Golf — Jacquelyn Taylor
Women’s Track & Field — Jasmine Donohue
Wrestling — Will Miller
Volleyball — Maya Winterhoff

Weight Room Warrior Awards:

Baseball — Zach Lewis
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Jaylon Calhoun/Kanye Roberts
Men’s Cross Country — Tucker Sangster
Men’s Basketball — Luke Wilson
Men’s Golf — Alex Martin
Men’s Track & Field — Parker Kinney
Soccer — Marley Kahle
Softball — Olivia Cook
Spirit — Gina Gallo/Alex Locklear
Tennis — Savannah Dada-Mascoll
Women’s Basketball — Zoë McCrary
Women’s Cross Country — Rhys Ammon
Women’s Golf — Salem Lee
Women’s Track & Field — Emily Edwards
Wrestling — Gunnar Pool
Volleyball — Akila Hardie

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By Matt Present. SHELBY, N.C. — Four App State pitchers combined to allow just three runs in the ballgame — and just one after the third inning — but the Mountaineers were held to only one hit at the plate in a 3-2 loss to Wake Forest Tuesday at Keeter Stadium.

App State (21-23, 11-10) got exceptional efforts from Carter Boyd and Cody Little in relief. Trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Boyd extinguished a Wake Forest (30-16, 12-12) rally by coming out of the bullpen to strike out the final batter of the frame and strand two runners on base. The right-hander followed it up by striking out the side in the sixth inning.

Little pitched the final two innings of the contest and did not allow a run, scattering three hits and striking out two.

App State opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with Joseph Zamora belting a solo home run to put the Mountaineers in front 1-0. Zamora’s home run was App State’s only hit of the night. The senior second baseman accounted for both App State runs, working a walk in the sixth inning and later coming around to score on a bases loaded free pass to Juan Correa.

Matthew Dallas picked up the win for the Demon Deacons, retiring 17 of the 22 batters he faced, while Griffin Green, Luke Schmolke and Haiden Leffew combined to retire 10 of the final 11 batters of the ballgame.

Wake Forest tied the score in the second on an RBI double from Matt Scannell. The Demon Deacons took the lead on a sac fly in the third, and plated the game’s final run on another sac fly in the fifth.

Luke Oblen made his first career start for the Mountaineers and after walking the leadoff batter in the first inning, rebounded with a strikeout and a double play ball. After loading the bases in the third, he gave way to Jake Beaty who was able to minimize the damage to just one run. Oblen and Beaty each worked 2.1 innings in the contest.

App State will continue its road trip this weekend when the team heads to Conway, S.C. for a three-game series against No. 19 Coastal Carolina.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Kameron Miller made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning at Smith Stadium, slugging a one-out home run down the right field line to make it a 1-run ball game, but Southern Miss held App State in check the rest of the way to take a 7-6 win and sweep the weekend series, 3-0.

A right-handed hitter, Miller made contact with a low, first pitch fastball delivered by the Golden Eagles’ Landen Payne, digging it out to sail down the opposite field foul line for a 350-foot dinger. But Payne was able to get App State’s slugging first baseman, Juan Correa, to fly out to right and then secured the win by getting Mountaineer shortstop Tyler Lichtenberger to ground out to first for the third and final out.

After dropping Friday’s (April 25) contest 10-1 and Saturday’s (April 26) game 7-3, App State finally found some offense and it came from an unlikely place: the bottom third of the batting order. Right fielder Riley Luft, third baseman Tanner McCammon, and center fielder Charlie Evans accounted for six of the 11 Mountaineer hits, three of the runs scored and two RBIs.

Southern Mississippi’s offense was powered by three home runs, including solo shots off the bats of Matthew Russo in the third inning and Ozzie Pratt in the top of the 7th frame. The big blow came in the top of the 4th inning, Drey Barrett taking advantage of a light breeze blowing out to drive a ball over the fence in left center with two runners on base. The 3-RBI dinger gave the visitors from Hattiesburg, Miss., a 5-0 lead in the third inning. App State responded with four runs in the bottom half of the 4th inning to narrow the gap. The two Sun Belt Conference adversaries traded runs in the middle innings and late innings, but App State could never quite catch up.

Next up for the Mountaineers (21-22 overall, 11-10 in Sun Belt Conference) is a neutral site matchup with Wake Forest in Keeter Stadium (Shelby, N.C.) on Tuesday, April 29 (6 p.m.), then two road series in early May, one at Coastal Carolina (May 2-4) and the other at South Alabama (May 9-11). They close out the regular season at home against Georgia State (May 15-17).

The Sun Belt Conference tournament is slated for May 20-25, at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala.

In rankings kept by the NCAA for games played through April 20, the Sun Belt Conference had three teams in the nation’s Top 25 rankings: Troy (No. 20), Coastal Carolina (No. 21), and Southern Miss (No. 23).

The Sun Belt Conference RPI rankings published by the NCAA for games through April 24:

• No. 13 – Coastal Carolina
• No. 33 – Southern Miss
• No. 38 – Troy
• No. 85 – Texas State
• No. 93 – Georgia Southern
• No. 119 – Old Dominion
• No. 123 – Louisiana
• No. 127 – Georgia State
• No. 131 – South Alabama
• No. 154 – ULM
• No. 162 – Marshall
• No. 168 – Arkansas State
• No. 170 – App State
• No. 171 – James Madison

 

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Juan Correa belted his 13th home run of the season and Liam Best fanned six in his third start of the year, but App State came up short against No. 22 Southern Miss, falling 7-3 at Smith Stadium on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles (30-13, 14-6) have now won six of their seven Sun Belt series this season.

Best was clutch in his outing for the Mountaineers (21-21, 11-9). The right-hander struck out the side in the first inning, after allowing the first two batters of the inning to get into scoring position. Best struck out one in the second to strand the bases loaded and two more in the third, before giving way to Bradey Wilson, who recorded the final out of the inning and retired the first four batters he faced in relief.

The Mountaineers made clutch pitches throughout the ballgame, stranding 16 Southern Miss runners, including with the bases loaded on three separate occasions.

App State struck first in the ballgame with a run in the bottom of the third. Dillon Moquin was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and came around to score on a two-out, RBI single by Kameron Miller.

Miller tallied two hits and reached base three times in the ballgame.

The Golden Eagles grabbed the lead in the sixth inning, when they batted around and scored three runs. The visitors added on with a run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and one in the ninth — courtesy of junior infielder Nick Monistere’s 16th home run of the season — to keep the Mountaineers at arm’s length in the scoring column.

Correa hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Miller, who got on base after being hit by a pitch, to cut the deficit to 6-3. Unfortunately for the vocal home crowd, the Black and Gold were unable to get any closer.

App State will look to salvage the series finale on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12 p.m. in the finale.

 

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball’s late-inning rally came up short on April 19, as the team dropped the series finale to James Madison, 10-6, at Smith Stadium.

Down by six runs in the ninth inning, App State (21-18, 11-7) pushed across two runs on four hits in the final frame, but was unable to sustain the rally and overcome the deficit.

Juan Correa led the Mountaineers, going 3-5 with a pair of RBI singles, while Tyler Lichtenberger recorded his 22nd multi-hit effort of the season and Kameron Miller also tallied a pair of hits.

James Madison (13-27, 6-12) plated four runs in the third inning to take the lead and added critical insurance runs late, recording two in the seventh and two more in the ninth. Overall, the Dukes sprinkled in some power with five doubles and a home run among their 11 total hits on the day.

JMU overcomes shaky start

App State got the scoring started in the bottom half of the first inning. Braxton Church led off with a walk and, two batters later, Kameron Miller also walked to put two men aboard. After a flyout from Juan Correa advanced both runners into scoring position, a wild pitch allowed Church to come in to score from third.

The Mountaineers plated another run in the third inning on a Correa RBI single through the left side. He drove in Joseph Zamora, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame.

Trailing 8-2 in the seventh, Church belted his second home run of the season into the visitor’s bullpen in right field to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, Miller ripped a double to the wall in left-center field and Correa brought him home with an RBI single through the left side to make it 8-4.

App State conceded a pair of James Madison insurance runs in the top of the ninth but stormed back in the home half of the inning. Zamora doubled down the left field line to start the frame and came around to score on a two-out, RBI single from Lichtenberger to keep the game alive. Tyler Figueroa and Riley Luft followed with back-to-back singles to score a run, with the Mountaineers down to their final strike three times in the ballgame, before the Dukes tagged out Figueroa trying to reach third base on Luft’s rap to center, salvaging the finale.

KEY PERFORMERS

• JMU – Jack Anderson: 3-3, 1 run, 2 RBIs, double, walk, hit by pitch
• JMU – Coleman Calabrese: 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR
• JMU – Wyatt Peifer: 2-3, 4 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 walks
• JMU – Kyle Langley: 2-4, 1 RBI, double, sacrifice
• APP – Juan Correa: 3-5, 2 RBIs
• APP – Braxton Church: 1-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR, walk
• APP – Tyler Lichtenberger: 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, walk
• APP – Kameron Miller: 2-4, 1 run, double, walk

 

 

By Matt Present. HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — Bounce-back perseverance from App State Baseball produced an extra-inning victory Sunday at Marshall and clinched another road series win for the weekend.

App State escaped a jam after Marshall had tied the series finale in the bottom of the ninth inning, then scored four times in the top of the 10th inning to regain the lead for good in an 8-5 victory.

The Mountaineers (19-16, 9-6) earned a Sun Belt Conference road series win for the second straight weekend, taking two of three games in Huntington after doing the same at ULM, and have won the series in four of their five Sun Belt weekends to date. App State currently sits fourth in the 14-team league, one game out of a second-place tie and two games behind first place.

After Marshall (18-18, 6-9) scored an unearned run to tie the game against Liam Best in the ninth, an intentional walk loaded the bases with one away. First baseman Juan Correa fielded a hard-hit grounder at the edge of the turf and threw home from one knee to erase the lead runner before Best forced extra innings on a swinging strikeout.

Singles from Tyler Lichtenberger and Tyler Figueroa leading off the 10th preceded an RBI double into the right-field corner by Jonathan Xuereb and a run-scoring bunt single by Charlie Evans. After an error on Xavier Lopez’s sac bunt loaded the bases with nobody out, Joseph Zamora and Kameron Miller had back-to-back sac flies.

A homer for Marshall leading off the bottom of the 10th cut the deficit to three, and two runners were aboard with one away when pitcher Conner Barozzino replaced Best. With the tying run at the plate, Barozzino forced a flyout to left and ended the game on a swinging strikeout.

App State trailed 3-1 before tying the game on Zamaro’s two-run sac fly to deep right-center in the seventh — the speedy Evans scored all the way from second to follow Figueroa home. The Mountaineers then claimed a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth as Xuereb scored on Miller’s two-out, pop-up infield single that was lost in the sun near second base.

Zamora finished 1-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs, while Xuereb went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Figueroa scored three times during a 2-for-4 day.

App State starting pitcher Everette Harris allowed one run in 2.1 innings before giving way to Bradley Wilson, who pitched the next 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs (on a two-run homer in the fourth) on two hits to get the Mountaineers to the dramatic ninth.

A highlight-reel catch from Dillon Moquin in right began the bottom of the ninth, but a single was followed by a throwing error to second to put two on and an RBI single that included a throwing error to leave two runners in scoring position.

Marshall, which had followed a Friday loss with a Saturday victory, was in position to seize the series, but some late heroics from the Mountaineers kept their strong stretch of weekend play going.

The 2025 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A. The Mountaineers are back in action Tuesday at Duke.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Reciprocity. That could well have been the key takeaway from “The Battle of the Rock” spring football game on April 12, pitting App State’s offense against the Mountaineers’ defense, with a sprinkling of special teams play along the way.

An estimated 15,000 fans from AppNation got a firsthand glimpse of new head coach Dowell Loggains’ gridiron product during the crisply-run drills and scrimmage. At the same time, the legion of new recruits — including a staff of assistant coaches loaded with NFL and major college pedigrees — received a taste of what playing in “The Rock” is like, the energized atmosphere in Kidd Brewer Stadium not quite up to gameday standards but certainly headed in that direction.

After some opening warmup drills, the teams got down to the main event, a live scrimmage pitting the offense against the defense — and whether you favor a dynamic defense or a thrill-a-minute offense, there were some nice moments for all.

New names surfaced on big plays, including interceptions by junior defensive back Cristian Conyer (a transfer who played at Coastal Carolina in 2024 and appeared in 10 games for Tennessee in 2023) and redshirt freshman Kaleb Neal (following a deflection from defensive back Tyshawn Sanders).

Redshirt senior Joseph Bakhoe, a Charlotte native (Myers Park HS) who initially played at Coffeyville Community College before one-year stints at Louisiana-Monroe (2023) and Chattanooga (2024), impressed coaches and fans with a forced fumble. There were also non-contact “sacks” by redshirt senior Thomas Davis, redshirt freshman DeNigel Cooper, and redshirt junior Josiah Wyatt, all returning defensive linemen.

Admittedly, though, much of the day’s curiosity centered on the revamped Mountaineer offense, given Loggains reputation as an innovator on that side of the ball and the big vacancy left with the graduation and transfer of quarterback Joey Aguilar to UCLA.

The quarterback room may be one of the most crowded as well as competitive of the skill positions. AJ Swann, a 6-2, 215 lb. redshirt junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing for Vanderbilt in 2022-23 and serving as a backup QB for LSU in 2024, got the first look on offense and didn’t disappoint with three TD throws during his rotations, one each to redshirt freshman Jose Leon (Miami, Fla.), junior Jaden Barnes (a transfer from Austin Peay) and Michael Dipasquale, a returning redshirt sophomore running back from Wake Forest, N.C.

Freshman quarterback Noah Gillon (6-3, 180 lbs., Tupelo, Miss.) lit up the scoreboard to start the second half with a long pass to redshirt senior tight end David Larkins, a returning starter. The play covered more than 70 yards, prompting 6-5, 255 lb. Larkins to admit to reporters after the game that it was the furthest he had ever run on a scoring play. After slipping behind the defensive secondary to find himself wide open, Larkins gathered in Gillon’s perfectly thrown spiral and sprinted untouched to the end zone.

“My greatest fear in being that wide open,” said a smiling Larkins, “is not catching the ball in that situation. I would rather be more closely guarded.”

In his first taste of collegiate football, Gillon had several shorter completions, too.

Another transfer QB candidate lived up to his major college pedigree and 4-star rating as a high school prospect in JJ Kohl, a 6-7, 250 lb. redshirt sophomore signal caller with three years of eligibility remaining. Kohl spent his 2023 and 2024 seasons at Iowa State. In “The Battle at the Rock” on Saturday, the towering QB found William Fowles for a TD. The redshirt sophomore wide receiver from Hialeah, Fla. transferred to App State a year ago, from Louisville.

Another strong QB prospect, Matthew Wilson, tossed a TD pass to Larkins, too. Wilson is a redshirt freshman from Rock Hill, S.C., who was an early enrollee to App State a year ago after being named the Offensive MVP of the 2023 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and an all-state selection as a high school senior.

The quarterback room also includes redshirt senior Billy Wiles, who transferred from Southern Miss a year ago. He was a scholarship player at Clemson before transferring to Southern Miss. As a veteran college QB who led his high school to a Virginia state title his senior year, Wiles is also a strong contender for the App State starting job.

The sixth QB candidate, redshirt sophomore Cameron Estep, also has a strong high school pedigree after leading Charlotte Christian to two state titles and setting the school’s record for touchdown passes.

Of the quarterback room, Swann told reporters afterwards that he was part of “… a close-knit group. Everyone gets the same number of reps as evenly as possible and I really enjoy it… We have a close-knit locker room, everyone coming together as one and that is what Coach is preaching.”

Swann said he really likes the offensive system.

“It is really well-run. They ran this offense last year at South Carolina and were very successful, one of the most successful in the SEC,” said Swann.

Kohl said he loved the atmosphere at Kidd Brewer and the enthusiasm of the fans.

“The fact they could fill the stadium on a very cold, windy day is impressive.”

Like Swann, Kohl described the transition into the new offense has been pretty smooth.

For his part, head coach Loggains seemed pleased with what he saw.

“We’ve got a lot to clean up, and there was a lot of good, but there is still a lot of work ahead,” Loggains said. “We’re going to have a busy summer with these guys. The good thing for us is we have a whole training camp to clean that stuff up.”

The first test for the new-look Mountaineers will be Friday, Aug. 29, at Bank of America Stadium against Charlotte, which is also coming into the 2025 season with a new head coach, Tim Albin, a two-time Mid-American Conference “Coach of the Year” and head coach of the 2024 MAC champions, Ohio University.

 

 

By Layne McNary. BOONE, N.C. — The App State tennis team pushed its winning streak to eight with a 4-1 victory over Georgia Southern on Sunday. The win marks the Mountaineers’ sixth straight in conference play, their longest conference streak since joining the Sun Belt.

Prior to the match, Olwyn Ryan-Bovey was recognized on Senior Day as the program’s lone senior.

What Happened

The Mountaineers (15-5, 7-2 SBC) opened the match by clinching a tightly contested doubles point. Savannah Dada-Mascoll and Taya Powell set the tone with a commanding 6-0 win on court one over the Eagles (10-8, 2-5 SBC). Ruby Broadbent and Naledi Manyube followed with a 6-3 victory on court two to secure the point for App State.

In singles play, Powell kept the momentum going with a 6-2, 6-4 straight-set win on court three. After cruising through the first set, she held off a late push to take the second and extend the lead to two.

Dada-Mascoll notched the Mountaineers’ second singles point of the day, winning 6-3, 6-1 from the No.1 spot. After trailing 2-1 early, she dropped just three more games the rest of the way. The win marked her seventh straight singles victory, improving her season record to 15-2. In doubles, she now holds a 13-3 record and has won eight straight.

After a setback on court two, Ryan-Bovey delivered the clincher in storybook fashion, winning in straight sets to secure the team victory from the No. 4 position. The senior overcame a late push in the first set and pulled away in the second for a 6-4, 6-3 win—her seventh consecutive singles victory, improving her record to 9-5 on the year.

Matches on courts five and six featuring Alexi Cleveland and Ruby Broadbent were left unfinished after the match was decided.

Up Next

The Mountaineers return to action on Saturday, hosting Georgia State at 10 a.m. at the App State Tennis Courts at the Appalachian 105 Complex.

App State 4, Georgia Southern 1

Results:
(Doubles)
Savannah Dada-Mascoll/Taya Powell (APP) def. Lisen Rinman/Mackenzie Leopold (GS) | 6-0
Ruby Broadbent/Naledi Manyube (APP) vs. Evelyn Warkentin/Nanaka Kijima (GS) | 6-3
Alexi Cleveland/Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (APP) def. Hannah Eifert/Franzi Heinemann (GS) | 4-4, unfinished

(Singles)
Savannah Dada-Mascoll (APP) def. Lisen Rinman (GS) 6-3, 6-1
Franzi Heinemann (GS) def. Naledi Manyube (APP) | 6-0, 7-6 (7-1)
Taya Powell (APP) def. Mackenzie Leopold (GS) | 6-2, 6-4
Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (APP) def. Nanaka Kijima (GS) | 6-4, 6-3
Alexi Cleveland (APP) vs. Amelie Rosadoro (GS) | 1-6, 5-5, unfinished
Ruby Broadbent (APP) vs. Hannah Eifert (GS) | 6-3, 3-3, unfinished

By Matt Present. MONROE, La. — Tyler Figueroa’s grand slam highlighted a seven-run third inning, helping App State take the series from ULM with a 17-5 win in seven innings in the rubber game on April 5 at Lou St. Amant Field.

After the Mountaineers saw a ferocious rally come up short in the resumption of Saturday’s suspended game, the bats stayed hot for the regularly scheduled contest, as App State (16-15, 7-5) used three big innings to pull away from the Warhawks (14-18, 3-9) in the series finale.

The Mountaineers conclude the weekend one game back of first place in the Sun Belt standings.

Game 1

After a nearly 24-hour rain delay, App State returned to the field Sunday trailing 13-6 in the seventh inning and wasted no time getting right back into the contest. The Mountaineers had already scored a pair of runs in the top of the frame prior to the delay and turned it into a big inning once play resumed. Braxton Church lined the first pitch of the resumed game down the right field line to score Joseph Zamora, and Juan Correa followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Kameron Miller, making it a 13-8 ballgame.

Tyler Lichtenberger continued the rally with an RBI single to left-center. The freshman then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and came into score on a Figueroa RBI single up the middle to make it 13-10. With two outs in the inning, Riley Luft, batting for the second time in the frame, smacked an opposite-field double to cut the deficit to just two and force ULM into its bullpen.

Freshman right-hander Luke Oblen struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning, but despite bringing the tying run to the plate in both the eighth and the ninth, the Mountaineers were unable to equalize.

ULM opened up an 8-1 advantage early on in the ballgame, scoring three runs in the first inning and five more in the second.

App State scored three runs in the sixth inning on a Correa RBI single, followed by a Lichtenberger two-run double, but the Warhawks countered with four runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Carter Boyd tossed 0.2 scoreless innings before lightning halted play on Saturday afternoon. Jordan Fisher delivered a scoreless eighth inning, retiring the side in order.

Game 2

The App State offense erupted for seven runs in the third inning and never looked back on its way to a run-rule victory.

Trailing 1-0, Graham Smiley reached on a throwing error to begin the third inning and Riley Luft followed with a single to center field. Dillon Moquin was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting up Joseph Zamora who blooped an RBI single into shallow right-center field to tie the score. Zamora finished with a career-high four hits in the contest.

After Kameron Miller singled through the right side to give the Mountaineers the lead, Tyler Lichtenberger worked a walk to force in a run and make it 3-1.

Tyler Figueroa then stepped to the plate and blasted a 1-0 pitch 360 feet over the left field fence for a grand slam to push the App State advantage to 7-1.

The App State offense kept the pressure on with base runners throughout the contest. While only three hits went for extra bases on the afternoon, App State recorded 13 singles, stringing together long rallies in multiple innings.

After an RBI single from Miller in the fourth, the Mountaineers put up a four-run fifth inning. With the bases loaded again, Luft plated a run with an RBI groundout before Moquin drove in two more with a triple to the gap in right-center. Zamora capped the inning with an RBI single to push the advantage to 12-3.

Leading by eight going to the seventh inning, the App State offense put the game away with another cooked number. The Mountaineers plated five runs on four hits in the inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Zamora and an RBI double from Lichtenberger. The Mountaineers’ shortstop recorded hits in all three games in the series to extend his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games and his on-base streak to all 30 games he has played this season.

Everette Harris made the start for the Mountaineers and worked 4.2 innings without allowing a walk. He scattered five runs on six hits but did not allow the Warhawks to put together a big inning.

Graduate student Bradley Wilson earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings and retiring seven of the eight batters he faced. He too did not walk a batter, marking the second time in the last six contests that the Mountaineers’ pitching staff posted a walk-free effort.

The Mountaineers return home for a midweek contest on Tuesday against Western Carolina to round out the home-and-home series with the Catamounts. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+

GAME 1 BOX SCORE

GAME 2 BOX SCORE

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. – App State baseball won its weekend series against Old Dominion with a doubleheader split on Saturday, winning the first game 6-1 before dropping the finale 7-6 at Smith Stadium.

Game 1

Bradley Wilson retired the final 17 hitters of the ballgame, throwing a career-high seven scoreless innings to help App State to a 6-1 victory.

Jake Beaty made his first career start for the Mountaineers (14-13, 5-4), pitching two innings and allowing one run while striking out three.

Wilson entered in a 1-1 game in the third inning and didn’t yield a run the rest of the way, conceding just three baserunners – all singles. Much like Caleb Cross on Friday night, Wilson pitched to contact, and the App State defense did the rest. Wilson recorded three strikeouts, to go along with 10 groundouts and eight flyouts. He earned his first victory of the season, lowering his ERA to 3.13 on the season.

The Mountaineers grabbed the lead in the third inning. Joseph Zamora singled through the right side and Kameron Miller followed with a laser home run over the center field fence to give App State a 3-1 advantage.

The Black and Gold added some insurance in the fifth. Zamora singled with one out, advanced to second on a stolen base, third on a wild pitch, and came into score on an RBI single from Miller. Later in the inning, Juan Correa belted his league-leading 10th home run of the season to push the advantage to 6-1.

Game 2

App State lost a back-and-forth contest in game two, giving up two runs to the Monarchs (8-17, 4-5) in the top of the ninth inning after tying the game in the bottom of the eighth.

Riley Luft hit his first career home run as part of a career-high four-hit game. Braxton Church, Graham Smiley and Juan Correa also registered multi-hit efforts.

App State went just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on base in the ballgame.

Carter Boyd took over on the mound in the first inning and gave up just one run across 2.1 innings of work. Collin Welch, Reyn Watson and Max Tramontana combined to work three scoreless innings, keeping the Monarchs off the board from the fifth through seventh innings.

App State will be back in action on Tuesday as the team travels to Cullowhee, N.C. to face Western Carolina at 5 p.m.