BOONE, N.C. – Despite holding a one-run lead for the first three innings, Appalachian State University baseball was unable to overcome an 11-hit day for Arkansas State, falling 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Smith Stadium.
The Mountaineers (18-25, 7-13 Sun Belt) dropped just their third game in their last eight while the Red Wolves (21-21, 9-11 Sun Belt) snapped their four-game losing streak.
Appalachian got on the board in the first inning when back-to-back singles by Matt Vernon and Jason Curtis allowed Tyler Stroup to get a sacrifice fly, bringing in Vernon, to get the 1-0 lead.
Both teams went scoreless as pitchers dueled until the fourth inning when Arkansas State was able to plate four runs off four hits to take the lead.
Trying to work themselves back into the game, the Black and Gold scored one run in the six, after Avery Jackson and Brian Bauk drew walks. To bring home Jackson, Bradley Davis continued his impressive week at the plate by singling up the middle to get one of his team-high two RBI on the day.
A-State would score one in the seventh, but Appalachian continued to threaten in the eighth as Jackson and Conner Leonard hit back-to-back leadoff singles before Jackson hit a chopper down the right field line to plate one. The Apps forced a pitching change with the winning run at the plate and runners on first at second, but they would be unable to claw any closer on the day.
Southpaw Colin Schmid took his usual Saturday start and went 4.0 innings before Matt Schaeffer provided relief. Schaeffer went 2.1 innings allowing just one hit and one run, striking out three before Tristan Helms and Sean Mason finished off the game.
Mason finished with two strikeouts and allowed just two hits in his 2.1 innings of work.
The Mountaineers will head into Sunday's rubber match against Arkansas State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium and will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and will be available to watch on the WatchESPN app.
