High Country Sports

Author: David

  • High Country’s Izewski captures Broad Street 10-Mile Run in Philadelphia

    By David Rogers (remotely). PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — For Josh Izewski, the Independence Broad Street 10-Mile Run was a homecoming of sorts. Originally from a Philadelphia suburb, Doylestown, Pa., Izewski was all smiles at the end of the race on May 4, crossing the finish line  No. 1 by more than two minutes over the next runner.

    Izewski, 35, is now one of the top marathoners based in Blowing Rock, a member of the ZAP Endurance elite professional running team. The former University of Florida track star finished the 10 miles in 46:14, well ahead of the No. 2 finisher, Taonga Mbambo, 24, of Line Lexington, Pa.

    The Independence Broad Street 10-Miler has become a fixture in Philadelphia, staged continuously for more than 40 years, according to the event’s historical documents. From its modest beginnings in providing athletes with an opportunity to run through diverse Philadelphia neighborhoods and communities along Broad Street, the event has grown to include more than 40,000 runners embracing charitable causes in and around The “City of Brotherly Love.”

    Izewski, who is training to run in July’s Gold Coast Marathon in Australia, was just one of several elite or professional runners in this year’s race.

    TOP FINISHERS, MEN’S DIVISION

    1. Josh Izewski, 35, Blowing Rock, N.C. 46:14
    2. Taonga Mbambo, 24, Line Lexington, Pa., 48:41
    3. Cameron Miller, 30, Washington, D.C., 48:41
    4. Jack Whetstone, 25, Washington, D.C., 50:15
    5. Neil Saddler, 28, Washington, D.C., 50:44
    6. Gregory Jaindl, 27, Macungie, Pa., 51:02
    7. Ben Szuhaj, 27, Washington, D.C., 51:12
    8. Mike Durkin, 27, Cambridge, Mass. 51:23
    9. Stephen Paddock, 30, Raleigh, N.C., 51:26
    10. Jonah Bird, 25, Knoxville, Tenn., 51:39

     

  • ZAP Endurance’s Van Der Els, Schaffer among top finishers in USATF 5K Nationals

    By David Rogers. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — In just his first professional race back following knee surgery in December, Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team member Eric Van Der Els finished No. 8 among 51 professional runners competing in the U.S. Track and Field National 5K race on May 3.

    Van Der Els’ ZAP Endurance teammate Daniel Schaffer finished one place out of the money list, at No. 11, giving the High Country’s leading elite distance running team two athletes among the top finishers in yet another national championship competition.

    Olin Hacker, 27, of Flagstaff, Ariz. finished No.1 in 13:31.93. Van Der Els was just over 12 seconds behind, in 13:44.60, while Schaffer stopped the clock at 13:56.31.

    “It was a good day for ZAP Endurance,” said the team’s head coach, Pete Rea. “Both of our runners finished among the leaders and Eric’s (Van Der Els) performance was especially constructive since it was his first race back since surgery this past December.

    ZAP Endurance has two team member running on May 4, including Andrew Colley in the Prague Marathon (in Prague, The Czech Republic) and Josh Izewski in the Independence Broad Street 10-Mile Run (in Philadelphia, Pa.).

    TOP 25 FINISHERS, USATF National 5K Championship

    1. Olin Hacker, 27, Flagstaff, Ariz., 13:32 (4:21 mile pace)
    2. Casey Clinger, 26, Provo, Utah, 13:34
    3. Ahmed Muhumed, 27, Beaverton, Ore., 13:37
    4. Kirubel Erassa, 31, Fortville, Ind., 13:42
    5. Skylar Stidam, 24, Floyds Knobs, Ind. 13:43
    6. Kasey Knevelbaard, 28, Flagstaff, Ariz. 13:43
    7. Brian Barraza, 29, Boulder, Colo., 13:44
    8. Eric Van Der Els, 26, Blowing Rock, N.C., 13:45
    9. Dillon Maggard, 29, Seattle, Wash., 13:46
    10. Anthony Camerieri, 25, Brecksville, Ohio, 13:51
    11. Daniel Schaffer, 27, Blowing Rock, N.C., 13:57
    12. Tanner Chada, 26, Grand Rapids, Mich., 13:58
    13. Nick Foster, 24, Ann Arbor, Mich., 14:02
    14. Silas Winders, 23, Ames, Iowa, 14:04
    15. James Mwaura, 26, Tacoma, Wash., 14:05
    16. Nick Randazzo, 25, Ventura, Calif., 14:21
    17. Clayton Duchatschek, 26, Minnetonka, Minn., 14:21
    18. Caleb Webb, 27, Flagstaff, Ariz., 14:29
    19. Andrew Whitinger, 24, New Castle, Ind., 14:31
    20. Paul Chelimo, 34, Colorado Springs, Colo., 14:33
    21. Jack Kelke, 22, Romeo, Mich., 14:37
    22. Mason Tope, 29, Las Vegas, Nev., 14:39
    23. Titus Winders, 25, Minnetonka, Minn., 14:43
    24. Ryan Witters, 36, Falls Church, Va., 14:53
    25. Josette Andrews, 29, Boulder, Colo. 15:06

  • Special Report from App State Athletics. BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated a year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the 2025 APPSPY Awards this week.

    The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, with Samantha LaFon (women’s basketball) and Tucker Sangster (men’s cross country/track & field) being the lead emcees. SAAC members, coaches and staff members from App State Athletics voted on various awards, which resulted primarily from accomplishments during the 2024 spring, fall and winter seasons.

    • Myles Tate (men’s basketball) won Male Athlete of the Year, while Jasmine Donohue (women’s cross country/track & field) and Savannah Dada-Mascoll (tennis) were named Female Athletes of the Year.
      • Tate was named a first-team All-Sun Belt and second-team all-district performer after leading the Mountaineers in scoring, assists and steals while ranking second on the team in rebounding. He was the only Division I player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
      • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Ethan Lipham (cross country/track & field), Will Miller (wrestling), Kaedin Robinson (football) and Banks Tolley (baseball).
      • Donohue’s third-place individual finish helped lead App State to a Sun Belt Championship in women’s cross country, and she was the top individual scorer at the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing first in the 5,000 meters, second in the 3,000 meters and third in the mile.
      • Dada-Mascoll, meanwhile, had a 17-2 singles record at the No. 1 spot following a Sun Belt tournament in which she helped lead the Mountaineers to a No. 2 seed. She became the first App State player selected to play in ITA All-American Championships and was part of App State’s first doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
      • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Lise Boekaar (field hockey), Kayt Houston (softball), Maya Winterhoff (volleyball) and Izzi Wood (soccer).
    • Coach of the Year honors went to Brad Herbster (men’s cross country) and Annie Richards (women’s cross country). The Mountaineers swept those Sun Belt titles, with the men repeating as champions and the women prevailing for the first time since 2018. It was App State’s first league sweep since 2012.
    • There were two Most Exciting Win recipients, with the Sun Belt cross country sweep being recognized along with freshman heavyweight wrestler Stephan Monchery’s last-match victory that secured a third straight SoCon Championship tournament team title for App State.
    • The inaugural Mountaineer Cup went to field hockey, which won a MAC regular season title, while CJ Huntley (men’s basketball) was named Mr. Yosef and Grace Ball (field hockey) was named Ms. Yosef. Huntley and Ball each played five seasons for the Mountaineers.
    • The festivities also included the addition of Comeback Player of the Year awards, with those going to Bryson Terrell (wrestling) and Sarah Widderich (soccer). They both were starters who came back strong from ailments or injuries earlier in their careers.
    • Thornton Gentry (football) won the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
    • Dianna Boykin (women’s track & field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
    • The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to Sarah Callery (field hockey). That scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
    • The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women’s golf (cumulative GPA of 3.75 following the 2024 fall) and men’s cross country (cumulative GPA of 3.42 following the 2024 fall), while cheerleaders Shi Barnhardt and Andrew Mehringer won Julia Adams Scholarships.
    • Women’s track & field/cross country won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Jordan Tomberlin was the winner of the Ron “Doc” Kanoy Award and Scott Crothers received the Jack Branch Award.

    Along with SAAC members presenting awards, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin provided opening remarks.

    All for App Awards:

    Baseball — Braxton Church
    Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
    Football — Ethan Johnson
    Men’s Cross Country — Calbert Guest
    Men’s Basketball — CJ Huntley
    Men’s Golf — Colin Browning
    Men’s Track & Field — Patrick Freeman
    Soccer — Gracie Giacoletto
    Softball — Summer Simpson
    Spirit — Ashley Macom
    Tennis — Naledi Manyube
    Women’s Basketball — Samantha LaFon
    Women’s Cross Country — Lauren Johnston
    Women’s Golf — Jacquelyn Taylor
    Women’s Track & Field — Jasmine Donohue
    Wrestling — Will Miller
    Volleyball — Maya Winterhoff

    Weight Room Warrior Awards:

    Baseball — Zach Lewis
    Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
    Football — Jaylon Calhoun/Kanye Roberts
    Men’s Cross Country — Tucker Sangster
    Men’s Basketball — Luke Wilson
    Men’s Golf — Alex Martin
    Men’s Track & Field — Parker Kinney
    Soccer — Marley Kahle
    Softball — Olivia Cook
    Spirit — Gina Gallo/Alex Locklear
    Tennis — Savannah Dada-Mascoll
    Women’s Basketball — Zoë McCrary
    Women’s Cross Country — Rhys Ammon
    Women’s Golf — Salem Lee
    Women’s Track & Field — Emily Edwards
    Wrestling — Gunnar Pool
    Volleyball — Akila Hardie

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  • Hibriten rallies for late winning goal in defensive battle, 1-0 vs. Watauga

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Dominating possession in soccer is an important first step towards winning, but you still have to be successful in the attacking third of the field — and score goals. Watauga had the ball a majority of the time on May 1 at Jack Groce Stadium. It was Hibriten, however, who took advantage of fewer opportunities to win, 1-0, and remain in a tie for first place atop the Northwestern Conference.

    BONUS PHOTOS @ BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (All photos by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

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    Photo sequence by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

     

     

     

     

     

     

    With the setback, Watauga drops out of what was a 3-way tie for top honors in the NWC standings with Hibriten and Alexander Central. In order to earn a playoff bid with a higher seeding, decisive wins against Freedom on May 5 and Freedom on May 7 are a must in closing out the regular season. Currently ranked No. 31 in the North Carolina 4A West with an 8-5-1 record, the Pioneers are likely on the proverbial “bubble” in making the playoffs, assuming it will be another 32-team bracket.

    The visiting Panthers broke open the intense, defensive battle with just under 15 minutes to play, when sophomore forward Raegan Watts broke free down the left sideline and punched a well-place shot just past the outstretched arms of a diving Watauga goalkeeper, Rylee Mitchell.

    Watauga’s Quinn Haines (8) looks to pass across the field on May 1 vs. Hibriten. Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    Up to that point, both teams’ defensive units proved “stingy” as they turned away attack opportunities.

    Watauga head coach Chris Tarnowski acknowledged the reality of high-level, high school soccer after the match.

    “It was a tough game because our players really executed the game plan well and controlled possession for the majority of the game,” said Tarnowski. “We were able to move the ball well and the energy and effort were there, but that’s how these games sometimes go.

    Savannah Rogers (18) looks to attack vs. Hibriten’s Raegan Watts (25) during the Panthers’ 1-0 win at Jack Groce Stadium on May 1. Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    “As coaches, we’re really proud of the way our team played tonight and stuck together until the end. There’s a lot of parity in the conference this season, which makes for exciting games and bodes well for the sport across our part of the state,” he added. “So we’re going to take the last few games one at a time and see where that lands us for playoffs. We’re excited to compete against anyone, and as coaches we know that this group will always put in their best effort.”

    The Pioneers will be home against Freedom on May 5, then will close the regular season on the road, at Ashe County on May 7.

    BONUS PHOTOS

  • Cook helps power Watauga past No. 1 seeded South Caldwell, 10-8, to claim NWC tourney championship

    By David Rogers. GRANITE FALLS, N.C. — When the top half of a baseball team’s batting order is in full punch mode, good things can happen. Led by first baseman JT Cook’s 3-for-3 night that included a 3-run home run to break a 5-5 tie in the top half of the sixth inning, that’s exactly what happened in Watauga’s 10-8, upset win over the tournament’s No. 1-seeded South Caldwell.

    Cook’s power was also the difference-maker the previous game vs. Alexander Central, when his 3-run shot to centerfield in the top of the 7th inning on April 29 vaulted the Pioneers to an 8-7 win over the Cougars — and earned the High Country’s finest a berth in the May 1 Northwestern Conference championship game against South Caldwell.

    In defeating South Caldwell, Watauga claims the Northwestern Conference tournament championship and breaks a 5-game losing streak to the Spartans. Their last wins against the Hudson, N.C. school were in the 2022-23 season.

    Cook reached base in all five trips to the plate and was credited with scoring one run and three RBIs, all thanks to the 6th inning dinger.

    But at the top of the batting order, Cook wasn’t alone in his offensive production. Shortstop Maddox Greene was 4-for-5 on the night, with two runs scored, 2 RBIs and 3 stolen bases, while third baseman Cade Keller went 2-for-4, including one run scored and 3 RBIs. Second baseman and leadoff hitter, Evan Burroughs was 1-3, with three runs scored. Like Cook, Burroughs drew a pair of walks in his evening’s work.

    Everett Gryder was credited with being the winning pitcher, allowing just one run on one hit, striking out four. His outing was marred by issuing four walks and hitting two batters, but he was able to work his way out of jams with minimal damage. After pitching four innings, Gryder gave way to reliever Brett Vannoy, who South Caldwell touched up for 7 runs on 5 hits in two innings of work. Dillon Zaragoza came on in the 7th inning to get the final out, a strikeout.

    Zaragoza went to the mound with the bases loaded, Watauga leading 10-7, but with South Caldwell trying to rally some more with the winning run at the plate.  A brilliant defensive play by the Pioneers allowed a run but disposed of two runners when third baseman Keller fielded a ground ball, stepped on third, then whirled to get the Spartan runner advancing to second base. Then Zaragoza finished cleaning up the jam with the final strikeout.

    Watauga has now won their last eight games and nine of their last 11. At 16-11 overall and 6-4 in Northwestern Conference play, the Pioneers are getting hot at just the right time, looking ahead for a 4A West bracket berth in the North Carolina state playoffs.

    TOURNAMENT MVP: JT Cook

    ALL-TOURNAMENT: Dillon Zaragoza, Maddox Greene, Everett Gryder

    KEY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PERFORMERS

    • WAT – JT Cook: 3-3, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, HR, 2 walks
    • WAT – Maddox Greene: 4-5, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, double, 3 stolen bases
    • WAT – Jake Blanton: 2-5, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
    • WAT – Evan Burroughs: 1-3, 3 runs scored, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases
    • WAT – Cade Keller: 2-4, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, 1 walk
    • WAT – Everett Gryder, 4 innings pitched, allowed 1 run on 1 hit
    • SC – Nate Hall: 1-5, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, double
    • SC – Chase Cardwell: 1-3, 1 run scored, stolen base
    • SC – Walker Hartley: 1-3, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk, sacrifice fly, stolen base

  • Demonized: App State loses pitcher’s duel to Wake Forest, 3-2

    By Matt Present. SHELBY, N.C. — Four App State pitchers combined to allow just three runs in the ballgame — and just one after the third inning — but the Mountaineers were held to only one hit at the plate in a 3-2 loss to Wake Forest Tuesday at Keeter Stadium.

    App State (21-23, 11-10) got exceptional efforts from Carter Boyd and Cody Little in relief. Trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Boyd extinguished a Wake Forest (30-16, 12-12) rally by coming out of the bullpen to strike out the final batter of the frame and strand two runners on base. The right-hander followed it up by striking out the side in the sixth inning.

    Photo by David Katzenmaier, courtesy of App State Athletics

    Little pitched the final two innings of the contest and did not allow a run, scattering three hits and striking out two.

    App State opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with Joseph Zamora belting a solo home run to put the Mountaineers in front 1-0. Zamora’s home run was App State’s only hit of the night. The senior second baseman accounted for both App State runs, working a walk in the sixth inning and later coming around to score on a bases loaded free pass to Juan Correa.

    Photo by David Katzenmaier, courtesy of App State Athletics

    Matthew Dallas picked up the win for the Demon Deacons, retiring 17 of the 22 batters he faced, while Griffin Green, Luke Schmolke and Haiden Leffew combined to retire 10 of the final 11 batters of the ballgame.

    Wake Forest tied the score in the second on an RBI double from Matt Scannell. The Demon Deacons took the lead on a sac fly in the third, and plated the game’s final run on another sac fly in the fifth.

    Luke Oblen made his first career start for the Mountaineers and after walking the leadoff batter in the first inning, rebounded with a strikeout and a double play ball. After loading the bases in the third, he gave way to Jake Beaty who was able to minimize the damage to just one run. Oblen and Beaty each worked 2.1 innings in the contest.

    App State will continue its road trip this weekend when the team heads to Conway, S.C. for a three-game series against No. 19 Coastal Carolina.

  • UPDATED: Watauga powers past Ashe County, 12-1

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Visiting Ashe County struck first on April 27, scoring a run in the first inning of their Northwestern Conference first round playoff game against Watauga. The home side countered with three runs in the second and third frames, but that proved just a warm-up for the Pioneers’ 9-run explosion in the bottom of the 4th inning. It was a run-rule win after five, 12-1.

    Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    Brett Vannoy’s 3-RBI home run in the bottom of the 4th inning was icing on the cake — after Dillon Zaragoza’s 2-run triple with two outs put some distance between the Pioneers and the Huskies on the scoreboard earlier in the inning.

    Vannoy led off the decisive inning by drawing a 1-out walk but it looked like he would be stranded after Ashe County’s junior righthander Gavin Eller retired Chase Gillin with a strikeout. But with two outs, Evan Burroughs kept things alive, ripping a double to the centerfield fence, with Vannoy advancing from first to third. Pioneer shortstop Maddox Greene extended the inning with a 2-RBI single to right, then promptly stole second base to put himself in scoring position.

    Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    Watauga centerfielder Jake Blanton took advantage, lining a single to left to score the speedy Greene. The Huskies’ third baseman, Jordan Eller, mishandled a ground ball off the bat of his Pioneer counterpart, Cade Keller, allowing the multi-sport athlete to reach first base.  First baseman JT Cook followed with yet another single, scoring Blanton with Keller stopping at third base.

    Now ahead, 7-1, it turns out Watauga was just getting started. Zaragoza rapped his 2-run 3-bagger, then after a walk issued to Walker Ransdell, Vannoy put the game on ice with his dinger.

    Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    Everett Gryder picked up the win on the mound, allowing just one run on five hits.

    With the win, the Pioneers advance to the NWC semifinals, most likely facing Alexander Central, which finished second in the regular season standings behind South Caldwell. The next round was not set as of press time.

    Photo by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

    KEY PERFORMERS

    • WAT – Brett Vannoy: 1-2, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs, HR, walk
    • WAT – Dillon Zaragoza: 2-3, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, double, triple
    • WAT – Maddox Greene: 1-2, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, walk, stolen base
    • WAT – Jake Blanton: 1-2, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, walk
    • WAT – Evan Burroughs: 2-3, 2 runs scored, double
    • WAT – Everett Gryder: 4 innings pitched, allowed 1 run on 5 hits, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks
    • WAT – Cade Keller: 2-3, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs
    • WAT – JT Cook: 1-3, 1 run scored, 1 RBI

  • Southern Miss sweeps Mountaineers with nail biter in Game 3 win, 7-6

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Kameron Miller made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning at Smith Stadium, slugging a one-out home run down the right field line to make it a 1-run ball game, but Southern Miss held App State in check the rest of the way to take a 7-6 win and sweep the weekend series, 3-0.

    A right-handed hitter, Miller made contact with a low, first pitch fastball delivered by the Golden Eagles’ Landen Payne, digging it out to sail down the opposite field foul line for a 350-foot dinger. But Payne was able to get App State’s slugging first baseman, Juan Correa, to fly out to right and then secured the win by getting Mountaineer shortstop Tyler Lichtenberger to ground out to first for the third and final out.

    Redshirt sophomore Cal Clark had some good stuff on April 27 vs. Southern Miss at Smith Stadium. Photo courtesy of App State Athletics

    After dropping Friday’s (April 25) contest 10-1 and Saturday’s (April 26) game 7-3, App State finally found some offense and it came from an unlikely place: the bottom third of the batting order. Right fielder Riley Luft, third baseman Tanner McCammon, and center fielder Charlie Evans accounted for six of the 11 Mountaineer hits, three of the runs scored and two RBIs.

    Southern Mississippi’s offense was powered by three home runs, including solo shots off the bats of Matthew Russo in the third inning and Ozzie Pratt in the top of the 7th frame. The big blow came in the top of the 4th inning, Drey Barrett taking advantage of a light breeze blowing out to drive a ball over the fence in left center with two runners on base. The 3-RBI dinger gave the visitors from Hattiesburg, Miss., a 5-0 lead in the third inning. App State responded with four runs in the bottom half of the 4th inning to narrow the gap. The two Sun Belt Conference adversaries traded runs in the middle innings and late innings, but App State could never quite catch up.

    Designated hitter Kameron Miller (34) went the distance late in the game vs. Southern Miss on April 27. Photo courtesy of App State Athletics

    Next up for the Mountaineers (21-22 overall, 11-10 in Sun Belt Conference) is a neutral site matchup with Wake Forest in Keeter Stadium (Shelby, N.C.) on Tuesday, April 29 (6 p.m.), then two road series in early May, one at Coastal Carolina (May 2-4) and the other at South Alabama (May 9-11). They close out the regular season at home against Georgia State (May 15-17).

    The Sun Belt Conference tournament is slated for May 20-25, at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala.

    In rankings kept by the NCAA for games played through April 20, the Sun Belt Conference had three teams in the nation’s Top 25 rankings: Troy (No. 20), Coastal Carolina (No. 21), and Southern Miss (No. 23).

    The Sun Belt Conference RPI rankings published by the NCAA for games through April 24:

    • No. 13 – Coastal Carolina
    • No. 33 – Southern Miss
    • No. 38 – Troy
    • No. 85 – Texas State
    • No. 93 – Georgia Southern
    • No. 119 – Old Dominion
    • No. 123 – Louisiana
    • No. 127 – Georgia State
    • No. 131 – South Alabama
    • No. 154 – ULM
    • No. 162 – Marshall
    • No. 168 – Arkansas State
    • No. 170 – App State
    • No. 171 – James Madison

     

  • Golden Eagles catch App State to clinch series, 7-3

    By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Juan Correa belted his 13th home run of the season and Liam Best fanned six in his third start of the year, but App State came up short against No. 22 Southern Miss, falling 7-3 at Smith Stadium on Saturday.

    The Golden Eagles (30-13, 14-6) have now won six of their seven Sun Belt series this season.

    Best was clutch in his outing for the Mountaineers (21-21, 11-9). The right-hander struck out the side in the first inning, after allowing the first two batters of the inning to get into scoring position. Best struck out one in the second to strand the bases loaded and two more in the third, before giving way to Bradey Wilson, who recorded the final out of the inning and retired the first four batters he faced in relief.

    App State’s Tyler Figueroa dives back to the first base bag on April 26, in pickoff attempt by Southern Miss. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The Mountaineers made clutch pitches throughout the ballgame, stranding 16 Southern Miss runners, including with the bases loaded on three separate occasions.

    App State struck first in the ballgame with a run in the bottom of the third. Dillon Moquin was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and came around to score on a two-out, RBI single by Kameron Miller.

    App State’s Liam Best (35) pitched his way out of trouble in the first two innings on April 26 vs. Sun Belt Conference leading Southern Miss. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Miller tallied two hits and reached base three times in the ballgame.

    The Golden Eagles grabbed the lead in the sixth inning, when they batted around and scored three runs. The visitors added on with a run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and one in the ninth — courtesy of junior infielder Nick Monistere’s 16th home run of the season — to keep the Mountaineers at arm’s length in the scoring column.

    Correa hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Miller, who got on base after being hit by a pitch, to cut the deficit to 6-3. Unfortunately for the vocal home crowd, the Black and Gold were unable to get any closer.

    App State will look to salvage the series finale on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12 p.m. in the finale.

     

  • Watauga streaks past St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio), 9-2

    By David Rogers. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Being the high school alma mater of “King James” didn’t help St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) on April 24 at The Ripken Experience baseball complex. Listed as the visiting team in the tournament format, Watauga defeated Lebron James’ high school, 9-2.

    Brett Vannoy pitched four innings for the Pioneers, surrendering just three hits and one run, including two strikeouts and just one walk in earning the win from the pitcher’s mound.

    Watauga got on the board in the top half of the first inning with one run, but were held scoreless from then on until exploding for five runs in the fifth frame and three more in the sixth inning.

    Meanwhile, Vannoy, Dillon Zaragoza and Bryce Scheffler combined to shut down the Fighting Irish, limiting SV-SM to 2 runs on five hits, striking out 4 and walking just one, also reflecting a strong defensive effort by the Pioneers.

    The Pioneers once again proved to be speed demons on the basepaths, with six stolen bases, including two each by Evan Burroughs and Cade Keller

    WATAUGA’S KEY PERFORMERS

    • WAT – Maddox Greene: 2-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, stolen base
    • WAT – Jake Blanton: 2-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk, stolen base
    • WAT – Evan Burroughs: 1-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 2 stolen bases
    • WAT – Cade Keller: 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 stolen bases
    • WAT – Walker Ransdell: 1-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI,
    • WAT – Brett Vannoy: 4 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 strikeouts; as batter, hit by pitch, 1 walk