The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

Newsletter Signup

Get our news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

* indicates required

Strong start not enough to lift Mountaineers over High Point

Senior+third+baseman+William+Head+slides+home+Tuesday+night+during+the+Mountaineers+loss+to+High+Point+University.+Photo+by+Morgan+Cook++%7C++The+Appalachian
Senior third baseman William Head slides home Tuesday night during the Mountaineers loss to High Point University. Photo by Morgan Cook | The Appalachian

Appalachian State baseball (11-19, 5-3 SoCon) allowed the game-deciding run in the ninth inning to High Point University (19-13, 7-5 Big South) in a 6-5 loss in Boone on Tuesday night.

Senior third baseman Kyle Brandenburg hit an RBI double into deep center field off of App State’s junior right-handed pitcher Taylor Thurber that gave the Panthers the late lead.

Senior third baseman William Head slides home Tuesday night during the Mountaineers loss to High Point University. Photo by Morgan Cook  |  The Appalachian
Senior third baseman William Head slides home Tuesday night during the Mountaineers loss to High Point University. Photo by Morgan Cook | The Appalachian

The game started out smoothly for the Mountaineers. Freshman right-handed pitcher Sean Mason, who started the game for App State, had an easy first inning in which he needed only seven pitches to retire all of High Point’s batters.

The Mountaineers took an early 1-0 lead when it scored in the second inning when freshman designated hitter Matt Brill lofted a single into left field, scoring sophomore shortstop Dillon Dobson, who doubled to left field on the previous at bat.

Brill’s single extended his team-high hitting streak to 12 games. During that stretch, Brill has compiled a .477 batting average.

The Panthers had its biggest inning of the game in the fourth when they scored four runs on four hits. All four of the runs were brought in without a ball leaving the infield.

High Point scored its fourth inning runs off of two infield singles, a fielder’s choice and a hit batsman with the bases load.

Mason was pulled during the big Panther’s inning and gave way to freshman left handed pitcher Dallas DeVrieze.

App State rallied to tie the game at four in the fifth inning. Senior catcher Josh Zumbrook walked with the bases loaded to score a run, and then freshman left fielder Tyler Stroup drilled a two-RBI single into right field.

The Mountaineers regained the lead in the sixth inning when junior second baseman Michael Pierson led off the inning with a double to center field before Brill added another RBI, singling Pierson home.

“We kept it close all game,” Brill said. “Fortunately, we were able to come back and get into the game.”

The Panthers tied the game at five when Brandenburg blasted a home run to left field in the seventh inning.

Brandenburg then produced the deciding run for High Point and the Mountaineers were unable to tie the game in its half of the ninth, falling at home for the second time this season.

“I thought we were OK, and we battled back a little bit,” head coach Billy Jones said. “We had some chances to separate the game, and we didn’t get it done.”

Thurber suffered the loss for the Mountaineers, dropping his record to 0-4 on the season.

App State will play next in a three-game weekend series against conference rival The Citadel. The series starts Friday in Boone with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

“It’s three games at home, and we need to take all three,” Dobson said. “It’s good to come back here and have a few games, and we need to take advantage of it.”

Story: Cory Spiers, Sports Editor

Photo: Morgan Cook, Intern Photographer

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

We hope you appreciate this article! Before you move on, our student staff wanted to ask if you would consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. We are celebrating our 90th anniversary of The Appalachian in 2024!

We receive funding from the university, which helps us to compensate our students for the work they do for The Appalachian. However, the bulk of our operational expenses — from printing and website hosting to training and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the financial and educational support of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of money and time from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends.

Our journalism is produced to serve the public interest, both on campus and within the community. From anywhere in the world, readers can access our paywall-free journalism, through our website, through our email newsletter, and through our social media channels. Our supporters help to keep us editorially independent, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone.

If you can, please consider supporting us with a financial gift from $10. We appreciate your consideration and support of student journalism at Appalachian State University. If you prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, or if you would prefer to make a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1727/cg20/form.aspx?sid=1727&gid=2&pgid=392&cid=1011&dids=418.15&bledit=1&sort=1.

Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All The Appalachian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *