Scoring runs seemed easy to Appalachian State in its previous two games. It proved to be much more difficult against High Point.

After putting 17 runs on UNC Asheville one day earlier and 15 on Davidson last Sunday, the Mountaineers scratched out a 4-3 victory in 11 innings over High Point at Smith Stadium.

Appalachian State (11-16) went on the road and beat UNC Asheville 17-7 Tuesday after taking a 15-5 win over Davidson in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday. High Point pitchers Brian Jones and Jeremy Berg were solid when they had to be, and High Point's defense did a good job of taking away potential base hits from the Mountaineers.

“I really tip my hat to the guys at High Point,” Mountaineers coach Chris Pollard said. “I thought their guys threw the ball really well. We saw their top two arms out of the bullpen and they’re tough arms. They’ve pitched really well all year.”

It was a spectacular catch by Appalachian State right fielder Jason Wallace that allowed the Mountaineers a chance to win the game in the ninth in the first place. Wallace’s diving catch of a Billy Alvino line drive prevented the Panthers’ Jeff Cowan from scoring from second base with two outs.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, David Towarnicky drove in Rand Smith with a single to right-center field, giving Appalachian State its third straight victory.

“That play Wallace made in the top of the ninth was a ballgame saver,” Pollard said. “If that gets down, then we may not have a chance to play the 11th.”

High Point (7-16) got out of a big jam in the bottom of the ninth Appalachian State’s when Jeremy Dowdy singled and reached second base on a Smith sacrifice bunt. After Isaac Harrow moved Dowdy over to third when his ground ball was booted at first base, Berg struck out Towarnicky and got Chris Alessandria to line out to third base to end the threat.

The Mountaineers’ bullpen combination of Chris Patterson, Zach Quate and Taylor Miller did not allow a run from the seventh-inning until the end of the game. Miller came on in the 10th inning and set the Panthers down in order in the 10 and the 11th.

“It felt good to get back on top after a little couple ups and downs,” Miller said. “I knew that if I could hold them, we would push something across. We’re a good ballteam. They’re not going to shut us down for that long.”

Isaac Harrow continued his heavy hitting with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Harrow went 3-for-5 against UNC Asheville Tuesday and 5-for-5 in a 15-5 win over Davidson last Sunday. Jerod Faggart added a sacrifice fly in a fifth inning that saw the Mountaineers leave runners stranded on second and third base.

The Mountaineers added a run in the seventh when pinch-runner Jack Myers scored from first base on a Wes Hobson double. Hobson advanced to third on the play, but was stranded when Harrow flew out to right field.

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Bill Manion and a 3-2 lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Eric Marion and an RBI double from Alfie Wheeler.

“Both teams did a good job of getting guys on base and both teams did a good job of making pitches with runners in scoring position,” Pollard said. “I thought it was a good ballgame, really.”

Appalachian State 4, High Point 3 (11)
High Point 100 002 000 00 — 3 12 2
Appalachian State 000 110 100 01 — 4 14 1
Jones, Berg (7), Scott (10) and Alvino. Grant, Port (4), Daniels (6), Jo. Dowdy (7), Patterson (8), Quate (9), Miller (10) and Je. Dowdy. W—Miller (1-2), L—Scott (1-3). LOB—High Point 13, ASU 11. 2B—High Point, Wheeler, Fulginitti, Alvino; ASU, Hobson, Alessandria, Wallace. HR—ASU, Harrow. SH—High Point, Alvino; ASU, Smith. SF—ASU, Faggart. SB—High Point, Manion, Alvino, Marion. CS—ASU, DeRose. HBP—High Point, Cowan (by Patterson).