Wolfpack takes
two from ASU
From staff reports
RALEIGH — Appalachian State had to settle for one win in its three-game, season-opening series with N.C. State Saturday and Sunday.

N.C. State won the first game of a Saturday doubleheader 8-1, but the visiting Mountaineers captured the second game 7-5 in front of 1,763 at Doak Field. The Wolfpack won the third game Sunday 14-4.

Appalachian State’s win Saturday was just the Mountaineers’ second victory in their last 24 tries against an ACC opponent.

Pitching, especially from the bullpen, made the difference. Three Mountaineers — Matt Andress, Aubrey Edens and Garrett Sherrill, combined to toss 5 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and one run.

Andress entered the game in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and two Wolfpack runners on base and struck out the first batter he faced. It allowed the Mountaineers to stay close to the Wolfpack, which was leading 4-3 at the time.

Andress went on to retire the next seven batters he face before giving up a run in the seventh. By then, Appalachian State had taken a 7-4 lead.

Edens got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth without giving up any runs and Sherrill retired the side in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season and his ninth overall.

Jason Altenhof, Jerod Faggart and Nick DeRose each had two hits for the Mountaineers in the game. Altenhof drove in two runs, while Faggart and DeRose each scored two.

N.C. State dominated the other two games. The Wolfpack jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first game of the series and rolled to an easy victory. The Pack added insult to injury by stopping a potential Mountaineers rally with a triple play.

With the bases loaded, Appalachian State’s Wes Hobson lined out to N.C. State shortstop Tommy Foschi, who threw the ball to second baseman Dallas Polk to double off Altenhof at second. Polk threw to third baseman Matt Payne to try to double off Andrew Franco, but Franco got back to the base in time.

However, Payne, the former Alexander Central standout, threw the ball to first base to get Isaac Harrow, who was all the way to second base on the play. The result was a 6-4-5-3 triple play, which took the Mountaineers out of a possible big inning.

Appalachian Sate held a 3-0 lead in the third game, but N.C. State scored 13 unanswered runs and cruised to a win. Brett Stewart belted a solo home run in the second inning. Stewart delivered an RBI single in the fourth, which was followed by a two-run double by Faggart.

Appalachian State plays at North Carolina A&T Tuesday and at Wake Forest Wednesday.