BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball played its home/Sun Belt Conference openers on Saturday, but fell to the "home team" on the scoreboard, UL Monroe, 9-5 in game one and the Warhawks walked off with a 6-5 victory in eight innings for the nightcap.
ULM improved to 14-9 overall and 2-0 in the Sun Belt while the Mountaineers fell to 4-19 on the season, including 0-2 in conference play, and have dropped five straight. UL Monroe has won all five of the all-time meetings between the two teams.
For the day, a trio of Apps recorded three hits including Tiffany Taynor, Heather Josey and Natalie Orcutt. Jenny Dodd and Ally Walters each tallied two base knocks of their own. Dodd went yard once in each game for her team-leading four home runs and Josey hit her 10th career blast (third this season) in game one.
Game One: UL Monroe 9, App State 5
After three innings, UL Monroe was out in front 6-0 before App State began to stage a comeback. In the top of the fourth, Orcutt doubled in Walters and Taynor singled in Megan Walker. In the home half of that frame, though, the Warhawks scored two more runs to go up 8-2.
In the top of the sixth, Orcutt led off the inning with a single to center, Taynor walked and Dodd touched them all with a hit over the fence in left center. That pulled the Black and Gold within three, 8-5, but it wasn't enough as ULM added a ninth run in the bottom half.
Vanessa Ciocatto went the distance (2-9) and gave up nine earned runs on 13 hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Game Two: UL Monroe 6, App State 5 (8 Inn.)
Appalachian State was the first to strike in game two and did so with a two spot in the top of the first. Orcutt drew a base on balls, Taynor moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt, and two outs later, Josey went deep to center field.
UL Monroe retook the lead with three runs the next half inning before the Mountaineers answered with a three spot in the top of the third to go back up 5-3. All three of those scored on Dodd's second home run of the day, a shot to left field.
In the bottom of the third, the Warhawks pulled within one, 5-4, to set up for the dramatic seventh and eighth innings.
In the seventh, ULM loaded up the bases with two outs against App State starter, Annaleise Kennedy (2-5), before a wild pitch went over the glove of Dodd behind the plate to allow a run from third to tie the game. In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs once again, the best hitter in the Sun Belt, Rochelle Roberts, walked it off with a homer to left center.
Kennedy gave up six runs, five earned, on 11 hits with two free passes and two punchouts.
Due to a forecast of rain in the Boone area on Sunday, first pitch against the Warhawks has been moved back to 11 a.m. inside Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
