Category: College

By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. HICKORY, N.C. — The App State track and field team recorded three event wins and tallied 12 top-five finishes on the first day of the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory on April 14.

Junior Chris Wainscott garnered gold in the men’s shot put with a personal best of 17.89m (58′ 8.25), which keeps him at third in the App State record book for the event. Wainscott also secured silver in the men’s discus with a toss of 48.51m (159′ 2″). Fellow junior Nathan Karl took third in the men’s shot put (15.94m (52′ 3.5″)) and rounded out the top-five in the men’s discus (45.76m (150′ 2″)).

Sophomore Daiyanna Cooper posted a pair of personal bests on the day, clinching first in the women’s shot put (12.64m (41′ 5.75″)) and fourth in the women’s discus (34.84m (114′ 4″)). Junior Megan Plummer took second in the women’s discus (38.28m (125′ 7″), PR) and fourth in the women’s shot put (11.72m (38′ 5.5″)). Sophomore Graysen Arnold posted a pair of third place finishes in the women’s discus (35.48m (116′ 5″)) and women’s shot put (12.01m (39′ 4.75″), PR)).

Freshman Nadiyah Byard made her debut in the women’s high jump, garnering gold with a clearance of 1.65m (5′ 5″). In the men’s high jump, junior Yates Hall recorded a clearance of 1.80m (5′ 10.75″), to tie for fourth.

Up Next
Action continues at the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational bright and early at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – App State softball completed a three-game season sweep over East Tennessee State with a pair of wins on Tuesday, 4-3 and 5-3.

The Mountaineers ended Game 1 in walk-off fashion before smoothly taking care of the Buccaneers in the latter matchup. Kayt Houston posted four runs and three hits across the doubleheader, while Sidney Martin and Mary Pierce Barnes recorded four hits apiece.

Game 1 Recap (App State 4, ETSU 3, 8 innings)

The Mountaineers started their offensive output with a monster of a first inning, scoring two runs on three hits and three stolen bases. Martin singled to left center to bring in Houston before Barnes singled to left field to bring in Emily Parrott.

App State stole five bases over the course of the contest, the most by the program in a game since February 27, 2021, in a win over UNC-Wilmington. The bases on Tuesday were snagged by Martin, Parrott, Barnes and Houston (x2). Parrott has stolen six this season to lead the Mountaineers in that department.

The Buccaneers responded with a pair of runs in the second inning, going up, 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, the Mountaineers tied things up at three after Houston’s second stolen base of the game. Thorp tallied the RBI as the score remained 3-3 until the bottom of the eighth.

Sejal Neas, who came in to pitch for Delani Buckner midway through the fourth inning, allowed no runs and only two hits to give the Mountaineers’ offense a chance to take the lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Bucs put themselves in scoring position, loading the bases with only one out. ETSU’s best statistical batter, Sara Muir, stepped to the plate and hit a hard ball to third base. Taylor Thorp fielded it in stunning fashion, stepping on her base and lining it to first for the double play.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hannah Forbes opened the inning with her first career hit, a single to the right side. Houston advanced her to second with a single of her own before Parrott earned the game-winning RBI single, batting in Forbes.

Houston, Parrott, Martin and Barnes all tallied two hits while Riley Becker, Kennedy Upshire and Forbes added one apiece.

Game 2 Recap (App State 5, ETSU 3)

The first inning saw two runs by the Mountaineers for the second straight game. Houston and Martin each singled to the outfield before Barnes’ biggest hit of the day, an RBI double to left center.

The Mountaineers are 13-3 this season when they score a run in the first inning.

App State kept things rolling in the second with two more runs, increasing the lead to four in an inning that saw four walks and one hit by the home team.

The Bucs picked up one run in the third but never came within two until the seventh inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Martin scored App State’s final run after slamming a double to left center and was batted in by Wray shortly after.

Kaylie Northrop pitched a complete game and struck out five batters, increasing her season total to 80, the 11th highest in the Sun Belt.

Martin and Barnes led with two hits a piece, accompanied by Houston, Parrot and Wray, who each had one.

Up Next

App State is set for a weekend series at South Alabama, beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State baseball went toe-to-toe with second ranked Wake Forest on Tuesday night, taking the lead into the fifth inning, before the Demon Deacons pulled away for a 10-4 win in front of a record-setting crowd of 1,376 at Smith Stadium.

With the Demon Deacons leading 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning, fifth-year senior Luke Drumheller led off the frame with an opposite field single to right field. Freshman Jonathan Xuereb then followed, blasting an 0-1 pitch 457 feet, over the wall in left-center, to give App State a 3-2 lead. The home run was the first of Xuereb’s college career, and the second-longest App State home run hit at Smith Stadium in the Trackman era.

Caleb Cross started the ballgame on the mound for the Mountaineers (16-14, 6-5). After the righty yielded a pair of RBI singles in the first inning, he settled down, striking out two in the second and two more in the third, and exiting with App State ahead, 3-2.

Wake Forest (29-4, 12-2) reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning, batting around and scoring five runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-run home run from Danny Corona.

The Deacons added a home run from Brock Wilken in the sixth inning. He also added a pair of doubles and scored four runs in the ballgame.

The Mountaineers finished strong on the mound. Collin Welch allowed just a run in 2.2 innings of relief, while Jackson Steensma, Zach Lewis, and Eli Ellington combined to strike out four across the final three innings in the ballgame, without giving up an earned run.

App State struck for the first time in the bottom of the first inning. Braxton Church was hit by a pitch to begin the ballgame, and after going first-to-third on a Xavier Morotna RBI single, he came into score on a single to center field from Hayden Cross. Cross extended his on-base streak to 19 consecutive games, while also throwing out his 13th baserunner of the season from behind the plate. Cross also added the Mountaineers’ final run of the ballgame, lifting a sacrifice fly to center in the ninth inning to plate Dylan Rogers, who reached on an error to begin the frame.

App State will travel to Statesboro next for an April 14-16, three game series at Georgia Southern. First pitch Friday is set for 6:30 p.m., with Saturday’s game scheduled for 2 p.m. The series will wrap up Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. in the finale. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Bobby Neal for App State Sports. STATESBORO, Ga. — App State softball dropped its series finale against Georgia Southern, 10-2, after six innings on Friday.

Riley Becker tallied her third and fourth RBI of the week with a two-run single in the fourth inning, becoming the fourth straight Mountaineer to reach a base as Addie Wray and Mary Pierce Barnes ran home.

App State led by two runs in the middle of the fourth before the Eagles jump-started their best offensive performance of conference play.

Sejal Neas pitched the first five innings and struck out four batters with three earned runs. Delani Buckner and Kaylie Northrop stepped in to finish the game.

Becker went 2-2 to lead the Mountaineers, who posted seven hits in the contest.

App State will return home for a midweek game on Tuesday at 5 p.m. against ETSU.

By Matt Present for App State Sports. LAFAYETTE, La. — For the first time since joining the Sun Belt in 2015, the App State Baseball team has begun conference play with three consecutive series wins, defeating Louisiana, 8-5, at Russo Park, Saturday, to take the first two games of the weekend’s three-game set.

Luke Drumheller set the tone early, blasting a three-run home run in the top of the first inning to put the Mountaineers (15-10, 6-2) in front, before Louisiana had recorded an out. Xavier Moronta reached on an error to begin the ballgame, and Austin St. Laurant singled to the hole at shortstop, ahead of Drumheller’s second home run of the season.

Meanwhile on the mound, Bradley Wilson (win, 2-2) enjoyed his best start as a Mountaineer. Following 18 strikeouts from App State pitching on Friday night, Wilson matched a career-high with six strikeouts over six innings of work on Saturday. The right-hander allowed just two runs (one earned) on a pair of hits and two walks in his outing.

The Mountaineer defense turned a pair of critical double-play balls in the ballgame, one behind Wilson in the fifth inning, and another two frames later to help Collin Welch through a scoreless seventh inning of work.

After adding a run in the second inning on a balk, the Mountaineers plated two more in the top of the fifth. Moronta singled through the shift to begin the inning, and St. Laurent followed with a double off the center field fence to put two runners in scoring position. After a walk to Drumheller loaded the bases, Hayden Cross looped an RBI single to right field and Golston Gillespie followed with an RBI groundout to put App State ahead 6-2.

The Mountaineers added an insurance run in the eighth. Alex Aguila reached on a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on an Andrew Terrell single, before coming into score on a sacrifiece fly from Moronta.

Louisiana trimmed the deficit with a three-run home run from John Taylor in the eighth inning to make it 7-5.

App State responded in the bottom of the eighth inning as Gillespie cranked a solo home run to left field, his tenth of the season, to put the Mountaineers ahead, 8-5.

After Dante Chirico came on to get the final out of the eighth inning with a strikeout, App State turned to Jackson Steensma (save, 5) for the ninth. He loaded the bases but was able to escape the jam, getting a flyout to secure the win.

Moronta, St. Laurent, Drumheller, and Terrell all finished with two-hit games, while Terrell stole his tenth base on the season, the most by a Mountaineer since 2019. The victory also marked the first series win against Louisiana since the 2019 season.

The Mountaineers will go for the series sweep on Sunday, with first pitch from Lafayette set for 2 p.m. ET. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Bobby Neal for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State softball dropped the middle game of the series against Texas State on Saturday, 3-1.

The Mountaineers (18-12, 1-5 SBC) allowed no runs after the first inning, but the Bobcats (22-14-1, 3-4-1 SBC) matched that, allowing only one run in the third by Kayt Houston.
After the successful first inning by Texas State, Delani Buckner retired 12 of the next 13 batters, erasing the Bobcat momentum and allowing the Black and Gold to come within two. Buckner pitched all seven innings and struck out three batters.

In the bottom of the third, Sidney Martin followed Houston’s single with an RBI single to right field. App State’s leadoff pair have combined for six hits and four runs over the series so far.
Emily Parrott added a hit in her second consecutive start.

These two squads will play their series finale on Sunday at noon. The Mountaineers will complete their homestand on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Queens.

By Matt Present for App State Sports. LAFAYETTE, La. — With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, and Xander Hamilton’s pitch count nearing triple digits, pitching coach Justin Aspegren paid a visit to the mound.

Hamilton (win, 5-1) responded, getting an inning-ending flyout, to keep the Mountaineers in front by a run, as he marched off the mound shouting in excitement. Hamilton returned to the hill to strike out the side in the sixth inning, capping a career-high 13 strikeouts on the night, as the Mountaineers (14-10, 5-2) defeated Louisiana, 3-2, Friday at Russo Park.

Hamilton’s 13 strikeouts were the most in a single-game by an App State pitcher in recorded history (since 2013), while the Mountaineers’ 18 strikeouts as a team came within one of the program record for a game. App State’s 5-2 start to conference play is their best since joining the Sun Belt in 2015.

The Raleigh, N.C. native also struck out the side in the second inning, and struck out all nine hitters in the Louisiana order at least once during his outing. Hamilton allowed just two runs over six innings of work, throwing 115 pitches in the outing.

The bullpen maintained the standard that Hamilton established. Skylar Brooks came on in the seventh inning, and tossed two scoreless frames, striking out two, while allowing just one baserunner.

Freshman Jackson Steensma took over in the ninth, charged with protecting a one-run lead. Steensma wasted no time securing his fourth save of the season, as he struck out all three batters he faced to polish off the victory.

App State opened the scoring in the first inning with back-to-back singles from Xavier Moronta and Luke Drumheller. Hayden Cross then plated Moronta on an RBI groundout to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 advantage. Moronta also doubled and walked, reaching base three times in the contest.

After Louisiana answered with a run in the home half of the first, App State went back in front in the third inning when they loaded the bases and forced in a pair of runs on a walk and a hit by pitch.

The middle game of the series is set for 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, with App State righty Bradley Wilson facing off with fellow right-hander Jackson Nezuh for Louisiana. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Bobby Neal. BOONE, N.C. — App State softball dropped its first series game against Texas State on Friday, 4-3.

Kayt Houston tallied a team-high three hits, including a leadoff triple to open the bottom of the first. Sidney Martin followed that with a two-run homer, her third bomb of the season. App State led by a pair of runs after one.

The Bobcats responded with three unanswered runs across three innings, leading to a pitching change for the final three. Sejal Neas pitched the first four and allowed only two earned runs. Kaylie Northrop relieved and tallied just one earned run to go along with three strikeouts.

Houston ignited the Mountaineers with a home run that reached the parking lot to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. The junior has tallied two homers this season.
Texas State brought in the winning run in the final inning despite a feisty day by the App State defense, which caught two runners stealing.

The Mountaineers and Bobcats will meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and on Sunday at noon. Any schedule changes will be announced on the team’s official Twitter page: @AppStateSB.

By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. AUSTIN, Tex/GREENVILLE, N.C./WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The App State track and field team had a busy Friday as it split to compete at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, Bill Carson Invitational in Greenville, N.C., and Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va. The Mountaineers recorded two first-place finishes and totaled 19 top-15 finishes on the day. After the first day of competition, App State stands third in the men’s and women’s team standings at the Bill Carson Invitational.

Texas Relays | Austin, Texas
Seniors Jada Branch and Taylor Smith represented App State at the Texas Relays, one of the most prestigious American track and field meets, for the first time in program history. Branch recorded a leap of 12.89m (42′ 3.5″) to place seventh in section B of the women’s triple jump. Branch’s first triple jump of the 2023 outdoor campaign is a mere 0.01m from her personal best of 12.90m (42′ 4″), which was recorded at the 2022 NCAA East Prelims and moved her to fourth in the App State all-time list.

Smith recorded a mark of 5.65m (18′ 6.5″) in section B of the women’s long jump, placing 15th overall. In the women’s 100-meter timed finals, Smith stopped the clock at 11.77 for a personal best, taking second in her heat and finishing 32nd out of 127 competitors. In the 100-meters category, Smith is now tied for eighth with LaBria King in the App State all-time list.

Bill Carson Invitational | Greenville, N.C.
Junior Chris Wainscott placed first in the men’s hammer throw with a toss of 53.96m (177′ 0″) and took third in the men’s discus with a toss of 48.81m (160′ 1″). Fellow junior Nathan Karl placed fourth in the men’s discus with a mark of 47.46m (55′ 8″). Sophomore Daiyanna Cooper took second in the women’s hammer throw with a personal best toss of 54.29m (178′ 11″). Cooper’s toss moved her to third in the App State all-time list. Junior Megan Plummer rounded out the top-five in the women’s discus with a toss of 37.58m (123′ 3″).

Colonial Relays | Williamsburg, Va.
Senior Oliver Wilson-Cook clinched first with a personal best time of 29:53.08 in the men’s 10,000-meter invitational. His time moves him to third in the App State all-time list for the event. Junior Ryan Teuscher stopped the clock at 30:58.62 for a personal best of his own and to place 14th overall. In the women’s 10,000-meter invitational, senior Madison Christy finished 10th with a personal best of 36:49.51 and sophomore Linnea Maynard took 13th with a personal best of 37:15.38.

Up Next Action continues for the Mountaineers at the Bill Carson Invitational in Greenville, N.C. on Saturday. The meet resumes at 8 a.m. with events on the track and field events will follow at 9 a.m.

Sophomores Catherine Breault and Abby Granberg will compete in the women’s unseeded 10,000 meters at 10 a.m. at the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va. The men’s unseeded 10,000 meters will follow at 10:45 a.m., which will feature junior Ben Datte.

Team Standings | Day 1 | Bill Carson Invitational
Men’s Teams | 3 events scored
1. Mount Olive – 38 points
2. Citadel – 27 points
3. App State – 22 points
4. UNCW – 16 points
5. East Carolina – 11 points

Women’s Teams | 2 Events Scored
1. East Carolina – 46 points
2. Mount Olive – 18 points
3. App State -14 points