Category: College

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Looking at a 15-14 final score, the casual observer might think the winning team was successful on 2-point conversion to explain the winning margin.

But no, this was a college baseball game. Seven home runs, 27 hits total and eight errors by both teams combined made for a heart-stopping thriller at Smith Stadium, a walk-off win on a one-out, bases loaded single to right field in the bottom of the 9th inning. For host Appalachian State, it may have been as improbable a win as it gets in winning the game and weekend series (2-1) over visiting Georgia State.

We’ll get to what led up to the 9th inning in a moment, but drama doesn’t get more invigorating than what occurred in the last frame.  App State broke open a 12-12 tie and jumped to a 14-12 lead in the bottom half of the 8th inning when catcher Hayden Cross clubbed a leadoff home run to left, then shortstop Alex Aguila sent an RBI-producing sacrifice fly to left and first baseman Golston Gillespie tagged up at third and outraced the throw to home plate.

I wanted that at-bat.

Although the Appalachian fans in attendance were smelling victory, Georgia State wasn’t done. Panther head coach Brad Stromdahl sent Michael Mcginnis to the plate to bat for catcher Kyle Hilton. Maginnis rewarded his manager for the decision by promptly rapping a single to left center. Two batters later, designated hitter Max Ryerson proved why he was in that position by launching a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for a 2-RBI home run, tying the game. The Panthers got two more runners on, but could not bring them home so the game went to the bottom of the 9th all tied up at 14-14.

Mountaineer third baseman Andrew Terrell led off the inning with a single, followed Xavier Moronta knocking another single through the left side with Terrell advancing to third base.

At this point, the Panthers had drawn in their left fielder, creating a presumably impenetrable, 5-man infield. It seemed to work when the Mountaineers’ Austin St. Laurent poked a ground ball toward third base, where the left fielder held the runner and sent a rocket to first base, catching St. Laurent for the first out of the inning.

Meanwhile, Moronta advanced to second, putting runners on second and third and leaving first base unoccupied.

The next batter up was App State second baseman Luke Drumheller, with catcher Hayden Cross on deck. GSU head coach Stromdahl called for an intentional walk to Drumheller, loading the bases.

And Cross didn’t waste any time in ripping a ball under the first baseman’s glove for a single, plating Terrell with the winning run and sending the entire Mountaineer dugout racing onto the field to embrace a jubilant Cross near second base.

Was loading the bases and pitching to Cross the right call?

While on the surface it seemed incongruous to walk Drumheller and pitch to Cross, the Mountaineers’ leading RBI producer with runners in scoring position, when asked about his counterpart’s decision after the game, App State head coach Kermit Smith did not hesitate in saying it was the right call because a ground ball could lead to a force out at any base and possibly even a double play to end the threat.

“Yes, it was the right call,” explained Smith. “You have to play for a force out there. It really has less to do with who is coming to the plate than it does with the situation.”

Cross had a home run early in the game but didn’t hesitate in describing his most important hit of the afternoon.

I think scoring is up because umpires are being held more accountable to a legitimate strike zone, just like in the majors.

“Yes, the last one was the biggest,” he said with a big smile. “I was trying to hit a ball in the air because they had five guys in the infield. The pitch kind of got inside on me so I didn’t get it in the air but thankfully it got through.

“I thought they might intentionally walk Drumheller to load the bases and play for a force out,” said Cross, “but I was ready. I wanted that at-bat.”

Early in the game, the Panthers pounced on scoring opportunities. They opened the first inning with a walk and a hit batter before consecutive doubles by centerfielder Cameron Jones and JoJo Jackson. Jones sending a ball all the way to the fence through the gap in right center and Jackson ripping a ball down the right field line to the corner, accounting for GSU’s first three runs. Then third baseman Will Mize followed with a 2-RBI home run, giving the Panthers a 5-0 lead before App State had even had an at-bat.

While the Mountaineers manufactured three runs in the 2nd inning thanks to a 2-run home run by Golston Gillespie and then Alex Aguila coming home on a wild pitch, Georgia State scored two runs in the second inning and three more in the third to take a 10-3 lead with the game only a third of the way completed.

But this was a game of comeback rallies. The Mountaineers battled back with nine runs in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, while the Panthers added just one more over the same span, giving the Mountaineers a 12-11 lead. Both teams held the other scoreless in the 7th inning, but that just led to the closing offensive fireworks and drama.

“Both teams would probably say they wished some things were done better on the mound and defensively,” said Smith about the high scoring game. “Early on, specifically, that was the case for us. Later, I thought we did a pretty good job, although we gave them a couple of runs. The other side of it though is that Georgia State can just hit. They are a good offensive team. Overall, though, if you look across the country the number of runs scored are up everywhere.”

Smith also suggested that his team has evolved, grown and gotten better.

“If you look back over the last few years, we haven’t scored as much with teams. Now teams are scoring a little bit and we are playing with them,” said Smith.

Smith offered an interesting observation as to why the runs scored may be increasing and it has nothing to do with juiced balls or changing the technology of bats.

“I think college umpires are now being held more accountable to a legitimate strike zone, which means pitchers have to do more work in the actual strike zone, too.,” Smith said while pointing to camera equipment fixed atop the press box and aimed specifically at home plate. “Umpires are actually being graded and there are reports just like in Major League Baseball that go back out to the conference offices.”

App State’s Jackson Steensma (2-0) was credited with the win. GSU’s Zach Ottinger (0-3) took the loss.

App State plays Queens on March 29 at Truist Field in Charlotte before traveling to Louisiana to test the Ragin’ Cajuns next weekend.

BONUS PHOTOS (all photo graphic images by David Rogers)

 

 

 

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Footballs — and football players — were flying around Kidd Brewer Stadium on March 25, as Appalachian State is now a little more than halfway through its spring practice schedule. The session included not just drills, but several scrimmage situations.

Summary Notes

• The next “era” for App State QB is fast upon us, to continue the line play callers that has included names like Armanti Edwards, Taylor Lamb, Zac Thomas and, most recently, Chase Brice. The next in line appear to be redshirt freshman Ryan Burger (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) or Joey Aguilar (Antioch, Calif. and Diablo Valley JC). Both are listed as 6-3 and very athletic, very mobile. Whoever wins the job, it will be nice to have the other one waiting in the wings.
• The running back room is again very deep, led by junior Nate Noel, the Sun Belt Conference rushing leader in 2021 and an honorable mention all-conference selection in 2022 after missing three games and limited in others due to injury. Ahmani Marshall, now a junior, returns after transferring from Wake Forest last year. Redshirt freshman Kanye Roberts was at times dynamic in his few opportunities last season. Boone native and Watauga High School alum Anderson Castle may have a larger role this year. He racked up some big gains in traffic during the scrimmage sessions. Junior Maquel Haywood is an interesting transfer out of Navy. Other prospects include freshman Jaylon Calhoun (Lakeland, Ga.), redshirt freshman Antonio Yates (Winston-Salem/Reynolds HS), and redshirt sophomore Bradley Davis (Spartanburg, S.C./Dornan HS).
• With the departure last year of four “super seniors,” the wide receiver opportunities became wide open. Kaedin Robinson, Christan Horn, Dashaun Davis, and Dalton Stroman seemed to take on leadership roles in 2022, but for 2023 we would not count out Jacoby Pinckney, a redshirt junior from Spartanburg, S.C. and transfer from Virginia Tech who looked particularly impressive on March 25. Redshirt sophomore Coen Sutton, younger brother of former Mountaineer WR Corey Sutton, has good size (6-2, 200), comes to App State with the NFL in his DNA (father, Clarence, signed with the Chicago Bears after playing as a safety for App State from 1993-1995) and had a good high school career, though somewhat abbreviated by COVID-19’s impact on high school sports. Other wide receiver names in the mix include redshirt sophomore Michael Hetzel (Charlotte/Ardrey Kell), freshman Grant Tucker (Charlotte Christian), freshman Chris Lawson, Jr. (Columbia, S.C.), redshirt freshman Trae Nickelson III (Huntersville, N.C.), redshirt freshman Reece Larson (Wellington, Fla.), redshirt Scoobie Ford (Atlanta, Ga./transfer from Mississippi State), and sophomore Makai Jackson (Croydon, Pa./transfer from St. Francis [Pa.]).

Interviewed by High Country Sports after the March 25 practice session and scrimmages, App State head coach Shawn Clark expressed a degree of disappointment in the session but remained optimistic.

“I think we took a step back on both sides of the ball today,” said Clark. “We have been playing at a very high level all spring practice. We just didn’t make the plays we had to. The quarterbacks and receivers were out of sync. I thought we did pretty well running the football, which is a good sign. On defense, we did a good job of getting to the quarterback. There were some issues there at the very end on coverage in red zone defense, but those are things we can control as far as missed assignments and mental errors. I am looking forward to watching tape tonight and getting back here Monday”

Clark indicated that it is “running back by committee” right now, acknowledging that Nate Noel has done what he described as a “fantastic job.” Clark also gave high marks to Ahmani Marshall, Kanye Roberts and Maquel Haywood, the latter of whom he described as, “… our transfer from Navy. He has really opened some eyes here. As of now, he looks to be in the top top two or three. But again, in this offense you need to have multiple running backs and that is where we are.”

Clark also spoke well of Watauga HS alum Anderson Castle.

“Anderson is important to our program. He can do a lot of things for us and he is Mr. Reliable. We look forward to getting him more involved in the offense this fall,” said Clark.

If there was a sense of still more recruiting work to do for the upcoming season, it might have come in Clark’s comments on the offensive line.

“You can never have too many offensive linemen. We are likely to go out to the transfer portal yet and get two or three, but I like our top seven guys right now. That said, we have to make sure we build depth at the position, and continuity with that depth. It is a long season and guys get injured or get bangs and bruises. That (roster) depth is important,” said the former App State lineman in the 1990s and offensive line coach before becoming head coach of the Mountaineers.

Acknowledging that there is a quarterback competition, Clark said, “Ryan (Burger) and Joey (Aguilar) have had a battle the whole way through the spring. I think both of them took a step back today, in practice No. 13.”

Catching up with Anderson Castle after the session, High Country Sports talked with him about the apparently deep running back room, even with the departure of Camerun Peoples.

“I like the way we are headed,” said Castle, now a junior. “We have gotten better every day this spring. That is the whole goal of spring, to get out there and get after it. We definitely have another deep running back room, loaded up again. I feel like we all fit in and we are all going to play a part in it Obviously, at running back you have to stay ready because a lot can happen. We all support each other. It is fun to be in that room.

“In spring ball,” Castle added, “we don’t really focus on roles but in short yardage situations I feel I can get those yards.”

Castle said he has no plans for the summer except for working out.

“I’m just going to be working out and enjoying the summer,” he said.

 

By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. ROCK HILL, S.C – The App State track and field team closed competition at the Adidas Winthrop Invitational on Saturday with 10 event wins and 28 top five finishes in addition to Friday’s seven event wins and 23 top five finishes.

In the men’s shot put, junior Chris Wainscott clinched gold with a toss of 17.46m (57′ 3.5″), which places him at third in the App State all-time list. Fellow junior Nathan Karl secured silver with a personal best toss of 16.67m (54′ 8.25″), which rounds out the top 10 in the program’s all-time list. Wainscott and Karl swapped spots in the men’s discus, as Karl finished first with a toss of 48.57m (159′ 4″) with Wainscott and freshman Jeremiah Burch Jr. taking second (48.34m (158′ 7″), PR) and third (44.66m (146′ 6″), PR), respectively.

The Mountaineers also took the top three spots in the women’s 400 meters and men’s 1,500 meters. Graduate student Hunter Robinson took first (56.04) and seniors Jelonnie Smith and Mariah Atwater took second (57.08) and third (57.51), respectively in the women’s 400 meters. In the men’s 1,500 meters, freshman Layne Hoyes clocked a personal best of 3:59.82 to clinch first and was closely followed by sophomore Rylan Haskett (4:00.10) and graduate student Jonah Bird (4:03.38, PR).

Senior Taylor Smith, along with freshmen Harrison Robinson and Addison Ollendick-Smith clinched gold in the women’s 100 meters (11.86), men’s 100-meter hurdles (14.69, PR), and women’s 800 meters (2:18.15, PR), respectively.

In the men’s 400 meters, junior Cole Krehnbrink posted a personal best of 47.50 to finish first and move up to No. 6 in the all-time list, while freshman Jayvion Johnson stopped the clock at 49.39 for a personal best and fourth-place finish.

The women’s 4×100-meter relay team of Taylor Smith, Hunter Robinson, Jelonnie Smith, and Atwater clocked a time of 45.83 to place first. In the women’s 4×400-meter relay team, Jelonnie Smith, senior Jada Branch, Hunter Robinson, and Atwater stopped the clock at 3:46.61 to garner gold. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team also placed first, as freshman Christian Gore, junior Jabari Dalton, freshman Brennin Beechum, and Krehnbrink stopped the clock at 3:16.27.

Friday Rewind

Sophomore Daiyanna Cooper recorded a toss of 52.16m (171′ 1″) to clinch first, which moved her to fifth in the program all-time list and senior Celia Agee garnered gold in the women’s pole vault with a clearance of 3.45m (11′ 3.75″). In the men’s 200 meters, sophomore Miles Stephens placed first with a time of 21.57, which matched his personal best, set at the Georgia Tech Invitational last season.

The Mountaineers took the top three spots in the men’s pole vault, men’s 5,000 meters, and women’s long jump. Junior Taylor Fox landed first in the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 4.65m (15′ 3″), junior Ryan Teuscher set pace for the Mountaineers in the men’s 5,000 meters with a personal best time of 15:17.00, and junior Siby Yao led the Mountaineers in the women’s long jump, recording a leap of 5.95m (19′ 6.25″), which placed her first in the event and ninth in the all-time list.

In the women’s 5,000 meters, sophomore Linnea Maynard stopped the clock at 18:28.51 to garner gold.

At the Raleigh Relays, Donohue clocked a personal best of 17:01.34 in the women’s 5,000. She finished third in her heat and 86th overall out of 170 competitors. Her time puts her at sixth in the App State all-time list for the event.

Up Next

The Mountaineers will split next week as they compete at the Texas Relays in Austin, TX, Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va., and Bill Carson Invitational in Greenville, N.C.

By Bobby Neal for App State Sports: LAFAYETTE, La. — App State softball ended its weekend series at No. 23 Louisiana with its first-ranked win in program history, defeating the Ragin’ Cajuns, 5-3, after dropping the first game of the doubleheader, 0-4.

The Mountaineers (16-10, 1-3 SBC) are the second unranked team to defeat Louisiana (23-10, 5-1 SBC) this season. All of Louisiana’s losses before Saturday came against teams who were in the top 22 of the RPI rankings.

Taylor Thorp hit a three-run homer in the top of the first, and Mary Pierce Barnes hit a go-ahead two-run single in the top of the seventh in the historic win, as Sejal Neas improved her record in the circle to 6-2 and Delani Buckner earned a save in the final inning.

Barnes’ big hit down the stretch was the 150th of her career.

“We never give up; that’s what I love about this team,” head coach Shelly Hoerner said.

Game 1 Recap (App State 0, #23 Louisiana 4)

In the first game of the day, Barnes punched two hits to lead her team offensively, but the Mountaineers could not bring in any runs.

App State held Louisiana scoreless through the first three innings before the Ragin’ Cajuns scored pairs of runs in the fourth and sixth frames. Kaylie Northrop tallied four strikeouts and pitched the complete game, while Addie Wray dove for a couple of show-stopping catches from the shortstop slot.

Game 2 Recap (App State 5, #23 Louisiana 3)

After a walk for Kayt Houston and a single by Sidney Martin, Thorp slammed the first home run of her season past left field to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Mountaineers are now 10-0 this season when they score a run in the first inning.

App State’s defense held the three-run lead through the first two innings with Neas in the circle. Neas retired four consecutive batters between the first two innings before the Ragin’ Cajuns snagged a pair of runs in the third to cut the lead to one.

After those runs, Neas retired seven straight batters as the score remained, 3-2, until the bottom of the sixth when Louisiana brought in a tying run.

In the top of the seventh, Houston and Martin were batted in by the same hit a second time as Barnes singled to give her team a 5-3 lead.

Game Notes

• Buckner came in to pitch the final inning and retired all three batters. Abby Cunningham made two of the final three outs from left field.
• Neas pitched the first six innings and allowed only two earned runs, while Buckner posted her first save of the season.
• Hannah Forbes made her first career start in the historic win.

Up Next

App State will return to non-conference action on Wednesday with a doubleheader at N.C. Central. Next weekend, the Mountaineers will host Sun Belt rival Texas State in a three-game series at Sywassink/Lloyd Field.

By Joey Jones for App State Sports. TROY, Ala. — Helena Jansen and the App State tennis team were not going to go down without a fight. And as it turned out, they didn’t go down at all.

The Mountaineers (6-5, 3-1 Sun Belt) came from behind to tie their road match at Troy (8-5, 1-3 Sun Belt) three times before Jansen overcame a first-set loss in her No. 1 singles match against the Trojans’ Kristina Kukaras to send App State to a thrilling 4-3 victory at the Lunsford Tennis Complex.

“First of all, I just want to give credit to Troy,” said App State head coach Ashleigh Antal, whose squad has already matched its league win total from last year. “They are an incredibly tough team, and playing them on the road is one of the toughest matches on our schedule. I’m so proud of the way we competed today, and the way we trusted the process through rough patches in the match. This was a really complete road win for us and definitely one we’ll remember. This is a huge confidence booster for us going into the rest of the season.”

Troy started the day by winning the doubles point and giving the Mountaineers their first dose of adversity to overcome.

With all six singles courts in action, the first to finish was App State’s Erika Dodridge with an easy 6-0, 6-1 win over Troy’s Olivia Elliott at No. 5 to tie the team score at 1-1.

Troy regained a 2-1 lead at court four with Maria Guirguis’ 6-3, 6-4 win over Virginia Poggi before Savannah Dada-Mascoll drew the teams even again with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Hagar Amin at No. 2. It was Dada-Mascoll’s eighth win in nine singles finishes this season, with her only defeat coming to a top-20 ranked Anika Yarlagadda of top-ranked UNC.

A Trojan win on court six (Franziska Ahrend’s 6-4, 6-1 win over Ellie Murphy) pulled the Trojans within one singles match of a team victory, but the Mountaineers had a pair of seniors still battling it out on courts one and three.

Maggie Pate earned a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 win over Valeriia Avdeeva on court three to make it 3-3 overall with just court one left in play.

Jansen had dropped her first set to Kukaras 6-1 before bouncing back with a 6-3 win in the second to set up the thrilling finale. With all eyes on the final two competitors, Jansen broke serve multiple times in route to a 6-2 triumph and an exuberant celebration by the visiting Mountaineers on court one.

App State will try to make it back-to-back road wins with a trip to Georgia State on Sunday. The match has been shifted to an 11 a.m. start in Atlanta.

Follow all the action this season on Twitter (@AppWTennis), Instagram (@appwtennis) and appstatesports.com.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Before a crowd that topped the 1,000 mark for the first time in 2023, with temperatures near 70 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny to partly cloudy skies at Smith Stadium, Appalachian State baseball dropped Game 2 of its Sun Belt Conference series with Georgia State, 10-4, on March 25.

The Mountaineers plated a run in each of the first two innings and in each of the last two innings, but in between they could do little in the way of offensive production. Meanwhile, the Panthers took advantage of the wind blowing out toward left field, with three home runs on the afternoon, two by shortstop Jesse Donohoe and one by centerfielder Max Ryerson.

Georgia State senior righthander Ryan Watson was one out away from a complete game shutout in the bottom of the ninth when App State third baseman ripped a 2-out double down the left field line, scoring earlier pinch hitter Vasili Kaloudis. Panthers head coach Brad Stromdahl decided to take no chances  for a Mountaineer rally, inserting freshman righthanded reliever Davis Chastain to get the final out.

In earning the win, Watson (2-1) scattered 7 App State hits in allowing the 4 runs, striking out five.

The Mountaineers got four doubles in the afternoon’s play, one each by Xavier Moronta, Hayden Cross, Hunter Wilder and the aforementioned Terrell. They just couldn’t do anything with the runners in scoring position.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday, March 26, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

Key Individual Performances

• APP – Xavier Moronta (DH): 1-4, 1 run scored, 2B
• APP – Luke Drumheller (2B): 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI
• APP – Hunter Wilder (CF): 1-3, 1 run scored, 2B
• APP – Andrew Terrell (3B): 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2B
• APP – Hayden Cross (C): 1-4, 1 RBI, 2B
• GSU – Ryan Watson (starting pitcher: 8.2 innings, 4 runs on 7 hits
• GSU – Jesse Donohoe (2B): 2-4, 3 runs scored, 3 RBIs, 2 HRs
• GSU – Max Ryerson (DH): 1-3, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, HR
• GSU – Matt Ruiz (SS): 2-4, 3 runs scored, 1 stolen base
• GSU – Dylan Strickland (LF): 2-4, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, 2B

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. —Before one of the 2023 season’s largest home crowds and a number of notable university officials on March 24, Appalachian State baseball scored early and often then outlasted visiting Georgia State, 10-7.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE

No fewer than seven Mountaineers crossed home plate with runs and five black-and-gold clad batters collected RBIs. Hitting eighth in the batting order, Alex Aguila arguably had the best day, going 2-for-3, scoring a run and recording 3 RBIs as well as being credited with a stolen base.

The Mountaineers’ third baseman, Golston Gillespie also went 2-for-3 on the day, scoring 3 runs and collecting one RBI. Both Aguila and Gillespie walked twice.

Second baseman Austin St. Laurent also had a creditable day at the plate, hitting 2-for-4, including one double, securing 2 RBIs.

Catcher Hayden Cross also was credited with 2 RBIs on the day, the first one in the first inning to get things started for Appalachian State. With the bases loaded in the bottom half of the first inning, Cross (batting cleanup) lofted a long fly ball to centerfield, scoring Xavier Moronta, who tagged up a third, giving Cross a sacrifice fly RBI for his stat line.

App State scored in every inning except the 7th, including a 3-run outburst in the second inning that saw a pair of walks and a batter hit by a pitch load the bases. St. Laurent capitalized with a single rapped up the middle, scoring Aguila and Andrew Terrell. Xavier Moronta came home for the inning’s third run inning on an error by Georgia State’s shortstop, Matt Ruiz.

The Mountaineers’ 2-run production in the bottom half of the 5th inning featured a little bit of “small ball.” Gillespie started things off with a single through the right side before Hunter Wilder singled to right, too, sending the redshirt senior from Ila, Ga. to third. With runners on first and third, Hunter, a junior outfielder from Port Charlotte, Fla., took advantage of Gillespie as a scoring threat and stole second, putting both App State runners in scoring position. Aguila worked the count to 3-1, then teed off on a pitch down the middle for yet another single through the right side, with both Gillespie and Wilder racing home.

While Georgia State started to get some offense going with two runs in the 8th inning and 3 more in the top half of the 9th to tighten the early deficit, App State countered with Gillespie seventh home run of the season for an insurance run in the bottom half of the 8th.

Starting pitcher Xander Hamilton (4-1) was credited with the win, allowing just two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out nine. He threw 112 total pitches, 72 of them strikes.

Joseph Brandon (2-1) picked up the loss on the mound for the visiting Panthers, as the starter. He pitched only the first two innings, giving up only two hits, but seeing four App State runners cross the plate, helped by Brandon walking four and three of the four runs rule “unearned” because of fielding errors.

The teams will return to action for Game 2 of the 3-day series on Saturday, March 25, at 3 p.m.

NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

• APP – Xander Hamilton (SP): WIN, 6.1 innings pitched, allowed 2 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
• APP – Golston Gillespie (1B): 2-3, 3 runs scored, 1 RBI, HR
• APP – Austin St. Laurent (RF): 2-4, 2 RBIs
• APP – Doubles by Hayden Cross and Luke Drumheller
• APP – Stolen bases by Xavier Moronta, Hunter Wilder, Alex Aguila
• GSU – Luke Boynton (1B): 2-3, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, HR, 2 walks
• GSU – Max Ryerson (DH): 2-5, 1 run scored, 1 RBI
• GSU – Will Mize (SS): 2-3, 1 RBI

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. — By sweeping the top two places in the Snowboard-Cross event, Lilly Kamp (No. 1) and Nicole Yoos (No. 2) propelled Lees-McRae College to first place in the Alpine Combined women’s team competition on March 9 at the 2023 U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboarding Championships hosted by Mammoth Mountain.

Of the 31 women qualified to compete in the Alpine Combined competition, Lees-McRae’s team championship bid was augmented by Lindsey Fletcher’s No. 14 finish.

Women’s Team Standings, Alpine Combined

1. Lees-McRae
2. University of Nevada-Reno
3. California State University=Long Beach
4. University of Virginia
5. University of California-Berkeley
6. James Madison University
7. The Claremont Colleges (Calif.)
8. San Diego State University
9. University of Southern California
10. Amherst College (Mass.)
11. Northern Arizona University
12. University of Minnesota-Duluth
13. University of Tennessee-Knoxville
14. Boston University
15. University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Bobcat Men Finish No. 2

On the men’s side, Lees-McRae junior Kenneth Stanford placed second among the 50 riders qualified to compete in the Boarder-Cross nationals event, helping Lees-McRae to a second place finish in the Boarder-cross National Championships.

Nineteen men’s teams from schools across the U.S. qualified to compete in the 2023 nationals in the Alpine snowboarding events. Although Nevada-Reno’s highest finisher was at No. 4, the competing team closest to Mammoth, geographically (287 miles), put five riders in the top 12 to capture first place in the team competition.

Lees-McRae’s team also exhibited some roster depth in claiming the No. 2 team placing, with Blake Broussard at No. 11, Chance Markland at No. 13, and Aiden Garner at No. 23, all placing in the top half of the 50-man field.

Men’s Team Standings, Alpine Combined

1. University of Nevada-Reno
2. Lees-McRae College (N.C.)
3. University of Wisconsin-Madison
4. Springfield College (Mass.)
5. James Madison University (Va.)
6. University of Virginia
7. California State University-Sacramento
8. California State University-Long Beach
9. Westminster College (Utah)
10. Boston University
11. University of Minnesota-Duluth
12. University of Southern California
13. University of North Carolina-Charlotte
14. Amherst College
15. The Claremont Colleges
16. University of California-Davis
17. University of Maine-Farmington
18. Columbia University (N.Y.)
19. San Diego State University

In qualifying for Nationals, the Lees-McRae men’s and women’s  teams both finished No. 1 in their respective divisions at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals, a sub-organization event of the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association. The Lees-McRae head coach is Aaron Maas.

By Matt Present. CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a game that featured six lead changes, CJ Boyd’s bases clearing double in the seventh inning proved to be the decisive blow, as App State outlasted Marshall, 9-8, to claim the series win at GoMart Ballpark.

Boyd finished the ballgame going 4-for-4, with 5 RBIs, after returning to the lineup earlier this week, after missing several weeks due to injury.

Marshall threatened to draw even in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Mountaineers rose to the occasion. With runners at the corners and one out, and a run in, the Herd attempted a safety squeeze, but App State tagged out the tying run at the plate. Then with two on, and two out, and a 2-0 count, the Mountaineers turned to freshman Jackson Steensma, who got a groundout to end the inning.

Steensma (save, 2) went on to work 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out three, to earn the save. Not only did Steensma escape trouble in the seventh inning, he stranded a runner in scoring position in the eighth, and escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth to seal the victory.

App State (10-7, 2-0) proved their resilience throughout the ballgame. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Mountaineers drew even in the second on a Boyd solo home run.

After the Thundering Herd (8-8, 0-2) regained the lead in the third, Golston Gillespie delivered a two-run home run for the Mountaineers, to put them in front, 3-2. The home run was Gillespie’s fifth of the season, and his fourth in the last six games.

With the score tied 3-3 in the fifth inning, Austin St. Laurent led the inning off with a double to the wall in left field, and three batters later Boyd plated St. Laurent with a double of his own.

Marshall re-gained the advantage not long after with a three-run home run from Owen Ayers in the bottom of the fifth inning.

App State battled back with a run in the sixth on an Andrew Terrell RBI single to make it a 6-5 Marshall advantage. Then in the seventh, the Mountaineers loaded the bases on walks to St. Laurent and Hayden Cross, sandwiched around a Luke Drumheller single. That set up Boyd who ripped a double into the left field corner for his third extra-base hit of the game to put the Mountaineers up 8-6.

App State will go for the series sweep on Sunday, with first pitch in the finale set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Centerfielder Mary Pierce Barnes went 3-for-3 and App State teammates Taylor Thorp and Ambry Lucas clubbed a pair of doubles on March 18, but it wasn’t near enough firepower to overcome a late innings hitting barrage by Marshall at Sywassink/Lloyd Field. The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt Conference season opener, 8-0.

When a team comes into a softball game with six of nine batters on the lineup card sporting .337 batting averages or better, including four over .400, you might expect a slugfest a-comin’. It took awhile, but Marshall didn’t disappoint in that regard.

The Mountaineers’ starting pitcher, Kaylie Northrop, held the visitors to just 2 runs through the first four innings, but a 4-run explosion by the Herd in the top of the 5th inning chased the junior transfer from UNLV and kept on pummeling the ball when reliever Delani Buckner took command of the circle.

Marshall catcher Autumn Owen, a junior from Mill Spring, N.C., capped a big day at the plate with a 2-RBI home run in the top of the 6th inning to all but put the game out of reach for the Mountaineers. Owen’s stat line for the day: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs.

The Herd’s leadoff batter, sophomore rightfielder Alex Coleman, is also a North Carolina native (Asheboro). Coleman went 1-for-3 on the day, scoring a run and with two stolen bases.

Marshall’s redshirt senior starting pitcher Sydney Nester went the distance and earned the win, limiting the Mountaineers to no runs on six hits, walking five and striking out four. Of the 28 batters she faced, five App State batters flied out while eight grounded out. A native of Hillsville, Va., Nester graduated with a degree in sports management from NC State, in just three years, before starting work on a Master’s degree in communication studies at Marshall while using her final years of athletic eligibility.

After the game, Mountaineer head coach Shelly Hoerner was disappointed in her team’s performance, especially in light of going 15-6 before the opening of Sun Belt play.

“Marshall came through in critical situations and, obviously, we didn’t,” said Hoerner, now in her sixth year at the helm of the Mountaineers’ program. “We had the bases loaded. We had runners in scoring position, but we didn’t do a very good job of situational hitting. It is a different game when you play clean in the field and I think a couple of errors cost us.

“I always say that to win a softball game, you need to win at least two of the three basic elements: pitching, hitting and defense,” she said. “We didn’t win any of the three. Marshall did a good job in situational hitting and we didn’t. Credit to them. They are a very good team. I thought Kaylie Northrop pitched well early on, but we need to back our pitchers up with hitting and defense, too.”

If it was even possible, the Mountaineer bats were colder than the 37-degree weather braved by an estimated crowd approaching 300 softball fans, including a large contingent of Marshall supporters. Because of Friday evening’s drenching rain, the originally scheduled 2 p.m. first pitch for the opener of league play (that also served as Parents Day for the Mountaineers) was moved to 4 p.m., to allow the outfield more time to dry out and become playable. With the late afternoon start, the field conditions may have been drier but the temperatures dropped precipitously as the game wore on. As a result, the second half of what was scheduled as a doubleheader was cancelled.

The Mountaineers are hoping for warmer and drier conditions on Tuesday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 22, when they host North Carolina (6 p.m.) and North Carolina A&T (4 p.m.), respectively, for non-conference tilts.

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