ETSU trips up App State
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Appalachian State’s bats weren’t completely silent Wednesday night. They only stopped working when runners got on base.

The Mountaineers missed several opportunities to score runs in their 2-1 loss to former Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State at Cardinal Park.

The Mountaineers (18-20), who saw their brief two-game winning streak end, face SoCon rival Western Carolina for a three-game series this weekend. The Catamounts play the Mountaineers at Smith Stadium in single games Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“They’re playing really well right now,” Appalachian State coach Chris Pollard said of Western. “They played two close ballgames with Elon and split, and then they beat Clemson (Tuesday) night, so they’re playing well.”

The Mountaineers had no trouble with their pitching against East Tennessee State. The game developed into a pitcher’s duel between Appalachian State starter Zach Quate and his East Tennessee State counterpart Ty Sarchet. East Tennessee State (10-27) took an early 2-0 lead on one-out, solo home runs by Troy Mendez in the first inning and Bart Rook in the second.

Jason Rook started the seventh and did not give up any runs in the two innings he pitched. Adam Mills worked the ninth, striking out two and walking one.

The Mountaineers had a few chances to score runs, but the Bucs’ pitching staff would not allow it. Their biggest chance was in the top of the eighth inning when, after scoring a run on a Jason Rook RBI single, they had the bases loaded with one out.

“It was a fastball that got on me a little bit,” Rook said. “Luckily it blooped down. I was looking fastball. I just didn’t get my hands in. Normally I want to hit a fastball.”

However, that’s how the inning would end. Freshman Chas Byrne did not allow another run and the Mountaineers left the bases loaded.

The Mountaineers had other chances. Appalachian State left Isaac Harrow on third base in the second inning after he had doubled, and Jason Wallace on second, who doubled in the fifth inning.

The Mountaineers also had runners on first and second base in the sixth inning with no outs, but could not drive in any runs.

“We had the bases loaded in the eighth and runners on first and second with no outs and three-four-five coming to the plate in the sixth,” Pollard said. “Those are situations when we feel pretty good.”

Both teams finished with six hits. The bottom five in the Mountaineers’ order finished 2-for-17 in the game.
“I don’t think it was anything they were doing,” Rook said. “I think it was something we were doing. I didn’t think their pitchers were that dominant. I think we got off our approach a little bit.”

The Mountaineers turn their attention to Western Carolina, which has been playing well lately. The Catamounts knocked off Clemson Tuesday night after beating the Southern Conference league leader Elon Sunday. Western lost 3-2 to the Phoenix the day before.

Appalachian State took two out of three from Georgia Southern last weekend and needs to start winning some conference series to get back into the league race.

“I think we’re ready,” Rook said. “I think we can take all three of them.”