ROCK HILL, S.C. - Appalachian State University softball trailed Towson 12-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning before it scored five runs on five hits to pull within three, 12-9. The comeback effort was halted there though as it was too little, too late for the Mountaineers on day three of the Winthrop/Adidas Tournament.
In a game that saw a combined 21 runs on 31 hits, App State fell to 2-13 overall while the Tigers (10-3) ran their winning streak to three amongst four wins in their last five games.
The Black and Gold's offense registred season highs in at-bats (36), runs scored (nine), hits (14), and total bases (20). Eight of Appalachian's nine starters had a base knock and five of them had multi-hit days including Cara Parker's 3-for-4 performance from the five hole.
Towson got on the board with two in the first inning before the Mountaineers scored three in the bottom half and one in the second as well. In the first, Jenny Dodd brought in Tiffany Taynor with a fielder's choice before Parker crushed her second home run in as many games with a two-run shot to left. App State's one run in the second came when Katie Mathewson scored on Megan Walker's groundout to short.
The Tigers seemingly took all of the momentum with one run in the third, four in the fifth and five more in the seventh. It was then, though, that the Mountaineers began to mount their comeback threat.
Dodd singled in Natalie Orcutt and Parker doubled in Heather Josey. With the score at 12-6, Towson made a call to the bullpen for a second time, this time bringing in ace Blakely Thrower. The rally continued, though, as Pepper Butler doubled in both Parker and pinch-runner Mallory Choplin. Eventually, Butler came around to score when pinch-hitter Casey Brescia reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. However, Taynor then grounded out to second and the fury was over.
Annaleise Kennedy (1-2) threw five innings and gave up eight runs, five earned, on 12 hits with one strikeout. Vanessa Ciocatto started the game and lasted one inning while Katherine Johnson threw the final inning in relief of Kennedy.
Next up, App State will play its fourth tournament in as many weekends on March 4-5 as part of Campbell's Camel Stampede in Buies Creek, N.C.
