ASU crushes North Carolina A&T
From staff reports

Appalachian State broke out of its recent offensive slump in a big way on Tuesday afternoon, setting season highs for hits and runs in a 19-6 win over North Carolina A&T at Smith Stadium.

Appalachian State (8-14) came into the day averaging only three-and-a- half runs per game over its last seven outings, but exploded to score in each of the first seven innings en route to the season-best 19 runs and 20 hits.

The Mountaineers scored a run in the first inning, four in the second and two in the third to grab a 7-0 lead before N.C. A&T (6-14) managed its first base runner.

A&T got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth, but Appalachian State answered with five in the bottom of the stanza to make it 12-1.

The clubs swapped runs in the fifth before the Mountaineers stretched the advantage to 16-2 with a three-run sixth. The Aggies broke out of their offensive doldrums with two runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Mountaineers added three of their own in the bottom of the seventh. With the 19-6 lead in hand, the Mountaineers didn’t put runs on the scoreboard for the first and only time in the eighth.

Nine different players recorded hits for Appalachian, led by a 4- for-5, three-RBI, three-run effort by Isaac Harrow. Nick DeRose went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs and Jason Wallace came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. In addition to Harrow and DeRose, Rand Smith, Wes Hobson and David Towarnicky also drove in three runs apiece.

Not to be overshadowed by the prowess at the plate was the effort turned in by Appalachian starter Ryan Arrowood (1-1). The freshman right-hander limited N.C. A&T to two runs on four hits over six innings of work. He struck out three and needed only 58 pitches to earn his first-career win.

N.C. A&T miscues helped the Mountaineers’ cause. A&T committed two errors, threw seven wild pitches and had four passed balls on the afternoon. Starting pitcher Nick Oelker surrendered 12 runs (eight earned) on nine hits and walked six in 3.2 innings of work to fall to 0-5 on the season.

Ronald Perry led the Aggies offensively by going 2-for-3 with two RBI from the nine-hole in the lineup.
Appalachian has put together back-to-back victories for the first time since a season-opening three-game sweep of Jacksonville State. Appalachian State’s game with Radford Wednesday was rained out. The Mountaineers open a three-game, Southern Conference series at Davidson Friday at 7 p.m. They are also scheduled to play single games Saturday (5 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.), weather permitting.