App State baseball returned to the win column in a big way this weekend, sweeping Presbyterian College in a 3-game series that took place in 3 different ballparks. App State scored 33 runs and blasted 4 home runs across the games.
The Mountaineers traveled to Clinton, South Carolina Friday to open the series. Sophomore utility player Riley Luft put the Mountaineers on the board in the first inning with a single that scored 2 runs after a throwing error by the Blue Hose’s third baseman.
App State added 3 runs in the top of the second inning. Freshman outfielder Nico Soul reached on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, driving in senior outfielder Tank Yaghoubi. Sophomore infielder Ethan Puig ripped an RBI single that brought home graduate student infielder Joseph Zamora, and Luft hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Soul for a 5-0 lead.
Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Nick DiRito had a strong start on the mound, throwing 4 shutout innings before allowing back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth.
Presbyterian tied the game at 5 in the bottom of the sixth inning on a pair of errors by the Mountaineers. Junior right-handed pitcher Logan Tibbett worked out of the jam, inducing 2 groundouts to end the inning.
(Parker Lunn)
The game remained tied until the top of the ninth inning, when senior outfielder Charlie Evans scored on a bases-loaded walk by freshman catcher Colton Denton to retake the lead. Zamora looped an RBI single to right field to double the advantage, and App State thwarted a 2-on, 1-out Blue Hose rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 7-5.
Both teams made the journey north to LP Frans Stadium in Hickory for game 2 of the series Saturday, and the Black and Gold cruised to a run-rule victory and the series win.
While the first inning didn’t see any scoring, App State’s offense erupted in the second inning. Yaghoubi hit a sacrifice fly that plated junior outfielder Drew DuPont for the game’s first run. Zamora cracked an RBI single to right field, then Soul smacked a 2-run base hit through the right side of the infield. Graduate student infielder Steven Smith recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Luft lined an RBI single to left field to cap a 6-run frame.
Presbyterian answered with 3 runs in the top of the third inning, but did not get any more across as junior right-handed pitcher Gage Peterson locked in on the mound. Smith notched an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the Mountaineers a 7-3 lead.
App State’s offense continued to pour it on in the sixth inning. Zamora hit an RBI single through the right side of the infield, then Soul uncorked a long 2-run home run to right field. Soul’s fourth home run of the season leads the Mountaineers.
The Black and Gold kept it going in the seventh. Zamora smoked an RBI triple to right-center field then scored on a passed ball. Soul sprinted home on a wild pitch for the Mountaineers’ thirteenth run of the day, clinching a 13-3 victory for the Mountaineers via the run rule.
App State wrapped the weekend with another big win in the series finale Sunday in Boone. The start to the game was pushed back due to inclement weather, and rain appeared intermittently throughout the game, but not enough to cause a delay.
Presbyterian struck first against junior left-handed pitcher Tanner Nolan in the first inning. The Blue Hose used a trio of hits and a throwing error by Nolan to grab a 2-0 lead.
The Mountaineers responded immediately. Puig, Yaghoubi and redshirt junior first baseman Jalen Seward hit 3 straight RBI singles to take the lead back.
(Parker Lunn)
Nolan settled down on the mound and quieted the Blue Hose bats in the top of the second inning, while App State caught fire at the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Luft hit a 2-run single to left field, and a few batters later, Yaghoubi drove in Smith with a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-2 Mountaineers lead.
Seward came up to bat later in the inning and launched a 3-run home run over the left field wall. Seward’s blast blew the game wide open and brought the Mountaineers fans to their feet.
Presbyterian scored 2 runs in the top of the fifth inning on a couple of errors by the App State defense. The Black and Gold were unfazed, and DuPont poked one through the left side of the infield to score Smith in the bottom of the inning and extend the lead to 10-4.
Zamora crushed a 2-run big fly that landed in the Blue Hose bullpen, and Smith joined the home run party in the seventh inning with a solo shot into the trees beyond left field. App State cruised to a 13-4 win to secure the series sweep.
App State hosts Western Carolina University Tuesday night in the Mountaineers’ final midweek matchup before conference play begins. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
