BOONE, N.C. –Western Carolina softball opened its final five-game road swing of the 2024 regular season on Tuesday, falling in nonconferencedoubleheaderaction 5-0 and 10-2 to the host Appalachian State from Sywassink/Lloyd Stadium.
After both teams played five scoreless innings in game one, the Catamount offenseIn game twowas led by homeruns from senior Jeralynn Wells and sophom*ore Kennedy Stewman. Four other WCU hitters–Lily Bell, Savannah Baldwin, Maya McPherson, and Sydney Dirks–eachcollectedbase knocks. Taylor Waitley got in the hit column in the opener against the Mountaineers.
Game One – Appalachian State 5, Western Carolina 0
Afterenduringfive scoreless innings,homestandingAppalachian State strung together four straight scoring plays to plate five runs and claimedTuesday'sopener,5-0.
The Catamounts were erased quietly in the opening half-inning. Game one starter Tessa Juett worked around a one-out single without trouble, tallying a strikeout to finish the inning.After a 1-2-3 frame in the top half ofthe second, App State put three straight runners on with two outsincluding two reachingonsingles before a lineout to third base kept the opening game scoreless.
Western Carolina and Appalachian State continued to post quick frames as a 1-2-3 frame in the third inningbeforethe Mountaineers tallied one baserunner in the fourththoughtherivalry matchup remained scorelessafter fourcomplete.
The Catamounts were held off the bases in the fifth before Juett worked around a pair of baserunners without trouble, tallying three more strikeouts to send game one to the sixth inning.
Waitley connected on a single in thetop of thesixth before a groundout moved her to second. With two out, Lily Bell drew a walk which was followed by Savannah Baldwin reaching on a fielding error from the hoststo load the bases. However, the Mountaineersworked out of the jam, inducinga two-out groundout to keep the game scoreless.
App State broke the scorelessdeadlockin the sixth,scoring ona bases-loaded walk before a two-run single extended the lead.The Mountaineers tacked on runs on asacrifice fly andanRBI doubletocap the inning from the hosts, making it 5-0 after six frames in game one.
The Mountaineers carried their momentum from the sixth to the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame to secure the 5-0 win over WCU.
Juett (11-13) went the distance for WCU, allowing five runs on eight hits in the circle. The Berea, Ky. native totaled six strikeouts in her six innings of work for the Catamounts.
Sejal Neas (9-12) matched Juett as she went the distance for Appalachian State, allowing one hit and a walk with eight strikeouts. She held the Catamounts off the scoreboard en route to her game-one win.
Game Two – Appalachian State 10, Western Carolina 2 (6 Innings)
Aftertradingruns in the thirdinningandWCU pulling ahead inthe top half of the fourth, the Mountaineers used the power of a four-runhome halfto carry the hosts to the doubleheader sweep of WCUwith the 10-2victory in game two.
After being erased 1-2-3 in the top half of the first inning, the Catamounts' game-two starter Taylor Norton worked around a pair of two-out singles without trouble to send the second game to the second inning.Dirks opened the second inning with a base hit before App State sat the next three hitters down in order. Norton worked around a one-out walk with a pair of groundball outs to keep the matchup without runs.
Stewman opened the third inning with a solohome rundown the left field line, giving WCU its first lead of the dayinBoone with a 1-0 lead after 2.5 innings. App State answered the Stewman big fly with a pair of RBI doubles to regain the lead at 2-1 after threecomplete.
Wells ties the game at two apiece in the fourth with a one-out solo homer to even game two after 3.5 innings. Appalachian State (19-24) responded with a four-run frame capped by a two-run homer to take a 6-2 lead to the fifth inning of the finale.
Western Carolina (14-29) added three straight singles from Bell, Baldwin, and McPherson, but on the final of those three hits, a play at the plate erased the Catamounts.A strikeoutthensquashed theremainder of thethreat. App State extended its lead to 7-2 with a leadoff solo blast in the half of the fifth inning.
After WCU was erased 1-2-3 in the sixth inning, App State tallied a pair of runs to complete the run-rule victory from Western Carolina by the score of 10-2.
Norton (3-5) dropped game two for the Catamounts. She pitched 5.1 innings and allowed ten runs, eight of which were earned on 11 hits. The redshirt sophom*ore added three strikeouts to her stat line on Tuesday.
Kaylie Northrop (8-5) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the game-two win for Appalachian State, scattering three hits and a pair of strikeouts. Delani Buckner tossed 3.2 innings in getting the start for Appalachian State, allowing a pair of homers on three hits with four strikeouts, but didn't factor into the decision.
The Catamounts hit the road for the final time in Southern Conferenceaction beginning on Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m. EST/ 1 p.m. CSTwith a doubleheader against Samford from the Samford SoftballField.The three-game set with the Bulldogs wraps up on Sunday, April 28, with a 2 p.m.EST / 1 p.m. CSTfirst pitch from Birmingham, Ala. All three games will have coverage throughlive stats available at CatamountSports.com and will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
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