App State softball celebrated the long-awaited grand opening of their new stadium and welcomed back alumni Friday through Sunday, but the celebrations were cut short as Georgia Southern rolled into town and took 2 of 3 games from the Mountaineers in a crucial Sun Belt Conference tilt.
The Mountaineers were forced to play exclusively on the road for nearly two months to start the season, as construction of the new Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium, located by the Appalachian 105 parking lot, was being finished.
App State fans packed out the bleachers Friday, hoping the Black and Gold would christen the new facility with a win. However, Georgia Southern used a late-game rally to power past the Mountaineers, 5-3.
Junior infielder Makayla McClain got the scoring started for the Mountaineers, hitting a double to left center field in the third inning, bringing in sophomore infielder Summer Simpson for the first run at the new stadium.
Senior pitcher Sejal Neas had an excellent outing in the circle and left the Eagles with no hits through 4 innings, allowing just 4 baserunners to reach.
The Eagles finally broke through in the fifth inning, getting 2 hits and tying the game on an RBI single, which forced a pitching change.
Georgia Southern added 4 more unanswered runs over the course of the final 2 innings to jump out to a 5-1 lead headed into the bottom of the seventh.
App State got a rally going, with freshman first baseman Madison McIntyre ripping a 2-run double to left center field that cut the deficit in half. The Eagles held on, however, getting 3 quick outs following the double to secure the win.
The Mountaineers bounced back with an impressive win Saturday, 10-2, to even the series at 1 game apiece.
Georgia Southern jumped out to an early lead in the third inning, scoring their only 2 runs of the day off back-to-back doubles.
Junior pitcher Sophie Moshos shut down the Eagles’ bats after the third inning, allowing just 1 hit the rest of her complete game performance.
On the other side, App State’s bats finally came to life late in the fifth inning after being shut out for the previous 4. McIntyre began the inning for the Mountaineers and crushed the first pitch she saw over the left field wall for the first home run at the new ballpark. A few batters later, McClain hit a sacrifice fly that brought in sophomore outfielder Jaylee Williams to tie the game.
The Black and Gold were able to load the bases with 2 outs for freshman Leah Gore, who sent her teammates and the fans into a frenzy with a go-ahead grand slam, capping a 6-run inning for the Mountaineers.
App State kept the runs coming in the sixth, hitting 2 more long balls to put the game out of reach. McIntyre again attacked the first offering she saw, this time driving it past the right field fence for a 2-run bomb and bringing freshman outfielder and utility player Julia Girk home.
After Simpson reached on a base hit, McClain dug in and belted one out to right for App State’s fourth homer of the day, this one a walk-off winner via the run rule that put the finishing touch on a great game.
App State was unable to replicate that performance in the rubber match Sunday, falling to the Eagles, 4-1.
Georgia Southern got an early lead in the second that they would not relinquish, hitting a 2-run single shortly followed by another RBI base hit.
The Eagles added another run in the fourth on an RBI double, while the Mountaineers’ hitters were kept in check for the majority of the game, recording just 2 hits through the first 5 innings.
Sophomore infielder Macy Hamby finally got App State off the schneid in the sixth, blasting a solo homer to right field to get the Mountaineers on the board and the fans on their feet. However, that would be the only offense of the day for App State, as they could not solve the Eagles’ pitching in time to spark a late comeback.
Despite hitting 5 homers over the course of the series, their most in a weekend this season, the Mountaineers lost 2 of the 3 games and fell to 10-20 on the season. App State is just 1-5 in conference play.
App State will hit the road once again, traveling to Harrisonburg, Virginia, to take on James Madison Friday through Sunday in a 3 game series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m. and all 3 games will stream live on ESPN+.
