BOONE, N.C. – Sophomore
Hailey Batista collected four total hits, including two home runs and five RBI in the nightcap, to pace the North Carolina Central University softball team in a couple non-conference road losses, 18-1 and 11-9, on Tuesday at Appalachian State University.
App State scored a season-high 18 runs in the opener and then tied its second-best scoring output in the finale to improve to 23-15 on the season.
NC Central (9-25) will next play a three-game MEAC series at preseason favorites Norfolk State University. Game one of Friday's doubleheader will be televised on ESPNU at 11 a.m. The two teams will conclude the Easter weekend set with a single game on Saturday at noon.
GAME ONE: Appalachian State 18, NC Central 1
Freshman
Jaden Davis scored NCCU's lone run with a sacrifice fly to score classmate
Jaidyn Hamby, but Davis had her 10-game hit streak come to an end in the five-inning affair. She would bounce back with two hits in the second game.
App State scored its 18 runs on just nine hits. However, five of those nine hits were for extra-bases, including two doubles and three home runs. Sophomore Emma Jones led the victors with three hits, three RBI and one home run from the leadoff position. Junior McKenzie McCullen hit a grand slam in the first inning to set the table for the Mountaineers and Katelynn Crowe added a three-run blast in the third.
Sophomore
Hailey Batista and freshman
Ashanti Eubanks both had a pair of singles for the maroon and gray.
GAME TWO: Appalachian State 11, NC Central 9
Batista drove in five runs on her two home runs to help lift the Eagles with a late 9-8 edge, but the Mountaineers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to complete the sweep. Senior Mary Pierce Barnes hit a game-tying home run to start the App State rally before freshman Kennedy Upshire drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run double.
Batista hit a two-run homer in the first inning to prove NCCU with an initial 2-nil advantage. Batista's second long ball of the contest, a three-run shot, highlighted a six-run rally by the Eagles in the fourth to regain an 8-4 lead.
Batista now has six home runs on the season, one shy of the seven hit by sophomore teammate
Jaylah Barr. They rank first and second in the MEAC in home runs this season.
The Mountaineers tied the contest with four runs in the home half of the fourth before NCCU took its third and final lead on an RBI-single by junior
Maegan Garrison.
Hamby, Davis and Batista all had two hits, accounting for six of NCCU's eight hits.
App State collected 10 total hits and drew seven more walks to finish with 15 total base on balls over just 10 innings on the day.
