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
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