Starting pitchers improving
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

It was no secret that the expectations for Appalachian State’s baseball team were high this season. Coming off a winning season in 2007 for the first time in a long time, the Mountaineers felt they had everything they needed to reach the top half of the Southern Conference.

Certainly, starting pitching was part of the puzzle. The Mountaineers went into the season with Matt Andress, Jason Rook, Aubrey Edens and Josh Dowdy ready to be the starters during the conference weekend games.

The Mountaineers went through a rough start to the SoCon season, winning just one of their first nine games. But the Mountaineers are getting back on track, having won four of their last six games, including two out of three from Western Carolina this weekend.

Andress got things started by pitching eight solid innings in the Mountaineers’ 6-2 victory over the Catamounts Friday night. Edens followed with a good effort in the Mountaineers’ 12-8 victory Sunday afternoon.

Dowdy followed with seven innings of solid work in Appalachian State’s 5-4 loss in 10 innings.
Mountaineers coach Chris Pollard said that losing games isn’t necessarily the starting pitchers’ fault.

Appalachian State got an excellent outing from Zach Quate last week in a 2-1 loss to East Tennessee State in a game that saw Quate give up two solo home runs, but little else.

“In the last three, four, five and six games in a row, we’ve pitched very well,” Pollard said. “In the East Tennessee State game, we pitched exceptionally well. I think that if we can do that down the stretch, we’re going to give ourselves a chance.”

Andress (5-3) turned in a solid performance Friday by scattering five hits and not walking any Catamounts in eight innings. The 6-foot-4 sophomore from South Mecklenburg has pitched the most innings of any Mountaineer (55 1/3) and has struck out 32 batters.

“It’s really starting to click,” Andress said. “We’re starting to go longer and keep the pressure off our bullpen. We’re all starting to click at the right time.”

Dowdy, who allowed three runs, two of them earned, in seven innings Sunday before developing a blister on his finger, feels that eliminating walks has been important in the Mountaineers’ ability to allow fewer runs.

“If we can keep sticking to the plan that coach has preached to us of getting ahead early and stay on top and keep throwing strikes like we’re doing, that’s the big thing,” Dowdy said. “It’s not walking guys and keeping away from the free passes.”

Andress has high hopes for the Mountaineers as they head into this weekend’s SoCon showdown with Davidson at Smith Stadium.

“We feel good,” Andress said. “We feel we’re starting to click at the right time.”