CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball gave up a 7-3 lead in game one before North Carolina Central walked off with a 9-7 win. NCCU took the nightcap as well by a score of 8-5.
The Mountaineers (9-45) entered Saturday with an all-time record of 10-0 against the Eagles (8-42) who ended their 2016 campaign with two wins on Senior Day inside UNC's Anderson Softball Stadium.
For the day, four App State student-athletes had at least three hits including Natalie Orcutt (5-for-8), Jenny Dodd (4-of-7), Heather Josey (4-for-9), and Megan Walker (3-of-6). Orcutt had multiple hits in back-to-back games for the first time since April 6 and Josey hadn't had three base knocks in a single contest since March 19. As for Dodd, she is six for her last 11 (.545) and Walker is five for her last 11 (.455).
The Black and Gold also hit three home runs on the day, which raised their season total to 46 and broke the program's single-season record of 45 set last season. Katie Mathewson hit her third of the year in game one before Cara Parker (11) and Josey (9) each had a blast in the rematch.
Game One: NCCU 9, App State 7
Through one inning, App State trailed North Carolina Central 3-1 after a three-run Eagle home run. The Mountaineers came out of the deficit swinging, though. In the top of the third, Pepper Butler hit a two-run double and Mathewson hit her two-run bomb to center and Appalachian State was up 5-3. The Black and Gold added a run in the fourth with a bases-loaded walk and one more in the fifth with Josey's RBI double to go up 7-3.
NCCU tied things up in the bottom of the sixth before winning it with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
In the circle, Annaleise Kennedy lasted just one inning with three earned runs given up and then Vanessa Ciocatto (7-21) came in. The junior surrendered six runs, five earned, on seven hits in the final five and one-third frames.
Game Two: NCCU 8, App State 5
In a back-and-forth game two, there were two ties and one lead change before the top of the fourth inning. At that point, App State was losing by one, 6-5, to homestanding North Carolina Central. In the home half of the fifth, the Eagles added two insurance runs to go up 8-5 and that's where the score stood.
Starter, Claire Eosso (0-5), went three innings and gave up six runs, two earned, on seven hits. Kennedy was responsible for the other three frames and surrendered two unearned runs on just two hits. Defensively, the Mountaineers had seven errors on the day, three in game one and four more in game two.
Next up on Sunday, the Black and Gold will play their final two games of the season against North Carolina A&T at home beginning at 12 p.m.
