The Mountaineers combined seven hits in the doubleheader (Photo: Tim Richardson) Softball, Gardner Webb (Game 1), April 15: Game statistics Softball, Gardner Webb (Game 2), April 15: Game statistics

Softball Doubled-up by Gardner-Webb, 4-1 and 5-0
by ASU Sports Information

April 15, 2008 - Boone, N.C. – Appalachian State softball dropped a tough pair of games to Gardner-Webb on Tuesday afternoon. The Mountaineers fell by 4-1 and 5-0 margins to the Bulldogs. ASU drops to 7-26 on the season while Gardner-Webb improves to 18-28.

The Mountaineers struck first in the second inning to answer Gardner-Webb’s three runs in the opening two frames. With junior Ashley Gaston on first base, junior Stephanie Long doubled to right, moving Gaston around to third. An errant throw by the Bulldog second baseman allowed Gaston to score ASU’s first run of the game. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers could not plate Long and settled for one run in the inning.

The Appalachian offense struggled for the remainder of the game earning only two more hits in the final five frames with no runner advancing past first base until the seventh inning.

Junior Kayla Richardson was saddled with the loss, dropping her to 4-12 on the season. She allowed four runs, three earned off 12 Bulldog hits. Richardson fanned six while walking only one.

The offensive woes continued in game two as the Bulldog pitching staff stymied the Mountaineer batters with four innings of no hit ball. Freshman Tijana Stevens ended the no-no bid with a hard single to left field. ASU scored a leadoff single in the sixth off junior Brittany Gaston. In the seventh, freshman Morgan Price hit a double off the centerfield wall. Each inning, the Gardner-Webb defense held tough, keeping the Mountaineers from scoring.

Junior Yancy Moose pitched four complete innings and allowed four runs off six hits in the loss. She falls to 2-10 on the season. Junior Teri Fister pitched the remaining three innings, holding the Bulldogs to two hits and one run. She tallied two strikeouts and one walk in the outing.

Appalachian will travel to Radford on Thursday afternoon to face the Highlanders starting at 4 p.m.