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Monday, 13 February 2012 22:51 |
The Appalachian State softball team finished its season-opening road trip to Auburn, Ala., with a 1-3 record in the Tiger Invitational.
In their first game of the Tiger Invitational on Feb. 10, the Mountaineers fell to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne 8-4. IPFW’s Courtney Cronin held App to a complete-game two-hitter, in which she struck out four batters. App was able to score four runs with the help of Cronin’s two walks and one hit batter, but could not take advantage of their base runners.
Coach Shae Wesley still saw a lot of positives out of the game.
“We played better defensively and executed on the little things,” Wesley said. “We had one of the best pre-game sessions we have ever had. I think it was mostly because of inexperience and working out the first game jitters.”
On Saturday the Mountaineers came roaring back, dominating the Lady Hornets of Alabama State University. ASU churned out 15 hits in the 17-8 win, with Caroline Williams, Allie Cashion and Caroline Rogers each blasting a homerun.
“We had a long talk after that first game,” said Meghan Rembielak, who went 3-3 against Alabama State. “We just knew we had to come out, leave everything out there and go hard. It felt good everyone hitting the ball.”
Caroline Wainright got her first win of the season, striking out five batters in three innings of work.
On Sunday afternoon, the Apps took on Wright State lost 2-1 in a grueling pitching duel between App‘s Caitlin Wainright and Wright State‘s Krystian DeWitt.
Wright State scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eight on an error. In the bottom of the eighth, App had a chance to score with Cashion on second, but DeWitt was too good, striking out three Mountaineers for the final three outs of the game.
Caitlin Wainright shined for the Mountaineers, throwing a complete-game one-hitter and striking out seven batters, but she still received her first loss of the season.
According to Wesley, the one hit that Wainright gave up was “on a defensive miscue.”
The Apps finished the invitational Sunday night, with a 6-2 loss to Auburn.
Allie Cashion blasted another homerun, but App came up short to an Auburn team which made it to the NCAA tournament regional a season before.
Coach Wesley seemed very happy with the direction of the team.
“We have done a lot of different drills and situational things in practice,” she said. “We just need to reiterate things in practice going forward, so that we can continue to carry what we do in practice into our games.”
One of the bright spot for this trip was Rembielak, a senior leader on the team, according to Wesley.
“She had a phenomenal weekend and played well for us offensively and defensively,” Coach Wesley said. Rembielak had started all four games, has .600 batting average, scored five runs with two doubles and two runs batted in.
The Mountaineers’ next game is a double-header series with UNC-Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. at 2 p.m.
Story: ETHAN JOYCE, Intern Sports Reporter |
