Box Score ELON, N.C. — Appalachian State University baseball nearly came all the way back from a 4-0 deficit but the Mountaineers' rally fell one run shy in a 4-3 loss to Elon on Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.

Elon (5-7) scored its only runs in the third inning but thanks largely to a spectacular relief performance by freshman pitcher Stephen Schoch, Appalachian State (2-10) was able to cut the deficit to 4-3. However, the Mountaineers went down in order in the ninth inning and suffered their third one-run loss in their last six defeats.

Schoch kept the Mountaineers in the game with four innings of one-hit, scoreless relief. The right-handed side-armer retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out eight in his four stanzas of work.

After putting only three balls in play in its first three innings against Schoch, the Phoenix loaded the bases on a seeing-eye single through the left side, an intentional walk and a hit batter in the eighth. However, Schoch capped his terrific performance by fanning the final batter he faced to escape the bases-loaded jam.

With Schoch dealing on the mound, Appalachian was able to get back into the game with two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth.

Tyler Stroup kickstarted the rally with a leadoff double in the sixth and came around to score the Mountaineers' first run on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, Grayson Atwood cut the deficit to 4-2 with a two-out RBI single up the middle.

Appalachian had the tying run in scoring position with one out in the eighth when Beau Myers walked and Caleb McCann followed with his second double of the game to put runners on second and third. Will Herman made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout but Atwood struck out to end the inning with McCann stranded at third.

McCann led the Mountaineers with the first two extra-base hits of his career and finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Starting pitcher Colin Schmid cruised through the first two innings but ran into trouble in Elon's four-run third. He went on to suffer the loss and fall to 0-3 on the season.

Appalachian State returns to action on Wednesday with a western North Carolina showdown against UNC Asheville. The contest will be played at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C. with first pitch set for 4 p.m.