by LINDSEY HUNTSINGER
Intern Sports Reporter

The Appalachian State University softball team took on the Spartans of the University of South Carolina Upstate for the first time ever in the last of their regular season home games Tuesday.

The Spartans (27-13) took the lead in the first inning of game one when center fielder Crislyn Chewning knocked a two-run home run off the right field foul pole.

“It always sucks to get behind in the first inning, but we have to be able to come back from that,” third baseman Katie Boyd said.

Boyd was the bright spot of the Mountaineer offense. She closed the gap in the bottom of the fourth when she hit a solo homer over the left field fence, her 14th of the season, to make the score 2-1.

When asked about her power, Boyd was quick to give credit to the entire team.

“I think [my power] gives the team a lot of versatility,” Boyd said. “But, we also have a ton of people who are great at base hitting.”

The Spartans added one more in the fifth, and were able to string together five hits and tack on five more runs in the seventh.
The Mountaineers plated one in the bottom of the seventh, but fell to the Spartans 8-2 in the first game. Pitcher Ashley Stubbs gave up 12 hits and one walk in a little over six innings of work.

Game two started off in Appalachian’s favor as center fielder Sarah Rappe got her 48th hit of the season, becoming the Southern Conference leader in hits. Rappe scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to left field by catcher Michelle Lighton.

“I had no idea about the hits,” Rappe said of topping the SoCon leaderboard. “I thought I was just up there for stolen bases, but it’s really awesome.”

Boyd blasted her second home run of the day in the fourth inning, to extend the Mountaineer’s lead to 2-0.
After an outstanding defensive play by Brittany Gaston to end the top of the inning, ASU was able to add to their lead in the fifth. 

Ashley Gaston got a base hit, and was pushed to third by Andrea McIntyre’s. Gaston then scored on a wild pitch.

Later in the inning, Lighton, who was 3-5 on the day, drove in two runs with a single to left field.

The next batter, Morgan Price, drove in two more to make the score 7-0 Appalachian.

The Spartans answered in the sixth with two runs, but could not overcome the Mountaineers’ five run lead.
“[The pitcher] was a little slower than we have been facing so we took the mindset that we had to go up there and sit back and see the ball,” Lighton said.

Pitcher Teri Fister (2-1) gave up six hits and two runs in her first start and complete game of the season to lead the Mountaineers to a 7-2 victory over the Spartans in the second half of the team’s double header.
The series split puts the Mountaineers’ record at 23-24. Their next game is Saturday against the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University.

“Basically from here on out it is preparation for the tournament,” head coach Amy Herrington said. “If you drop one in the tournament you can’t let the next one go.”

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