App State softball defeated Coastal Carolina in two extra-inning contests during a three game series in the High Country from Thursday to Saturday.
“I think our ability to comeback and win. It makes a statement on who we are as a team and that we are never going to give up,” junior infielder Makayla McClain said.
App State won the first game with a score of 6-5. The Mountaineers started slow through the first 3 innings. Neither team could find their offense, and both pitchers were playing well. In the top of the fourth, the Chanticleers broke the ice with 4 runs in the inning.
The Mountaineers responded quickly in the fourth frame with 3 runs of their own. Sophomore utility player Taylor Chumbley smacked a single that went to the warning track in center field and scored 2 runs.
Coastal Carolina scored another run in the sixth, but in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore infielder Macy Hamby tied the game with a 2-run home run as the Black and Gold were down to their final out.
The game went to extra innings, and Chumbley slapped a grounder that snuck past the Chanticleers’ second baseman to score the game-winning run, giving App State a 6-5 victory.
The Mountaineers won the second game of the series 8-7. Sophomore infielder Grace Barrett got the scoring started immediately in the bottom of the first inning with a single to right field, and McClain lined a ball into center in the second to double the lead.
The Chanticleers answered, and scored 1 run in the third frame and 2 runs in the fourth to claim the lead.
App State was able to get crafty to retake the lead, scoring from a wild throw on a stolen base attempt, and another on an RBI groundout from Barrett.
The teams traded blows for the remainder of the game. Coastal Carolina homered in the fifth to take the lead, but Barrett drove in her second run of the game with a single in the sixth inning. The Chanticleers hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but McClain drove in her second run of the game to tie the contest up again.
The game went to extra innings again, with Coastal Carolina taking the lead on another sacrifice fly.
Freshman utility player Leah Gore homered in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, and Chumbley got her second walk-off of the series by driving in Barrett on a single that stayed fair down the left field line.
Coastal Carolina won the third game 9-6 on Saturday.
Gore got the App State offense started in the bottom of the third with a single to left. However, a 3-run shot for Coastal Carolina catapulted them into the lead in the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, freshman outfielder Julia Girk made two diving catches to keep the Chanticleers off the board and provided a spark offensively for the Mountaineers.
In the bottom half of the inning, sophomore utility Summer Simpson hit a solo homer to center, which broke the program record for home runs in a season at 54. Following her up was McClain, who tied the game with a solo shot of her own.
A couple of home runs from Coastal Carolina had them reestablish a 3-run lead in the top of the sixth. They were not done scoring, and doubled down the right field line with 2 outs to extend the lead to 5. The Chanticleers plated another run, and the score was 9-3 going into the bottom of the sixth.
With a triple in the bottom of the seventh, McClain hit for the cycle, and Hamby drove her in with a 2-run bomb to left field. The Black and Gold continued to battle, with Gore following up with a solo home run of her own.
“Just really seeing the ball, seeing it out of her hand. Just watching it, getting my eyes behind the barrel, that’s all for me,” McClain said.
The late rally was not enough, and the Chanticleers won the series finale, 9-6. After the game, the two seniors, pitcher Sejal Neas and infielder Olivia Cook, were honored on the field.
“Olivia has definitely brought energy to the team, she gives everything she has, every single day, and so does Sejal,” McClain said. “She comes in when we need her, and she performs and steps up in big moments.”
App State will head to Troy, Alabama to compete in the Sun Belt tournament. Their first game will be on Thursday against Louisiana at 11 a.m., and it can be streamed live on ESPN+.