App State started their six-game homestand Friday with a weekend series against the James Madison Dukes.
James Madison came out swinging in the series-opener, scoring five runs on two longballs in the top of the first en route to a 10-2 win.
Sophomore pitcher Alannah Hopkins entered the game trailing 5-0 with two outs in the first, and pitched 3.2 innings. She allowed three earned runs, all coming in the fifth inning.
The Mountaineers’ offense showed signs of life late, with a run in the fourth and sixth, but it was not enough to make things interesting.
James Madison’s consistent ability to put runs on the board led them to a 10-2 victory in six innings.
The Dukes kicked off Saturday’s doubleheader with a 5-4 win.
The Black and Gold tied the game at one in the bottom of the third as junior catcher Hailey Webb scored on a wild pitch. The team took a 2-1 lead when a second wild pitch saw senior outfielder Kayt Houston reach home.
James Madison regained the lead in the fifth, and added insurance runs with a two-run jack in the sixth. The team took a 5-2 lead into the final inning.
App State drew within a run in the bottom of the seventh, when graduate student catcher Peyton Darnell singled up the middle and brought in two runs. They were unable to complete the comeback, stranding a runner at third and losing.
Houston broke Lindsay Glover’s program record of 229 career hits with a first inning single to left-field. Houston now leads the Mountaineers in all-time hits with 233. She also broke the previous program record of 370 total bases.
Senior pitcher Delani Buckner allowed two earned runs on four hits in 4.1 innings.
App State concluded Saturday’s doubleheader with an 8-2 loss.
The Black and Gold scored a run in third with an RBI single from Darnell. They scored again in the fourth when Webb reached home on a wild pitch.
Tied at two entering the fifth, the Dukes blew the game open, scoring three runs in the inning. The team tacked on another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. App State was unable to respond offensively.
James Madison won 8-2, completing their three-game series sweep.
The Mountaineers begin their two-game home series against Western Carolina on Tuesday. The game will start at 4 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
