CofC Comes Back for Win at App State

BOONE, N.C. — College of Charleston came alive for eight runs and thirteen hits, including three home runs, in an 8-3 win over league-leading Appalachian State on Sunday afternoon.

The Cougars improved to 22-11 overall and 12-6 in the SoCon as the squad snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to last weekend. Appalachian State fell to 24-6 and 9-3 in conference play as the Mountaineers lost their first home game of the season.

Junior Christian Powell (6-1) earned the win for the Cougars as he pitched six innings and only gave up one run before the Mountaineers hit him for two in the bottom of the seventh. He finished with three earned runs and seven hits allowed, while striking out five. Kyle Owings limited the App State damage by finishing the seventh inning, and David Peterson earned his eighth save of the season with perfect eighth and ninth innings.

Brandon Murray and Gunnar Heidt each tallied three hits as they hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the ninth inning to put the game out of reach. Murray's homer was his team-best ninth of the season, while Heidt hit his first homer of his CofC career. Marty Gantt went 2-for-4 with two runs and a solo home run. Daniel Aldrich tallied two doubles, including one for an RBI.

Rob Marcello (4-2) picked up the loss for the Mountaineers as he allowed five runs and seven hits through 5.1 IP. Brandon Burris tallied two RBIs for Appalachian State.

College of Charleston struck first with two runs in the third inning, the third straight game that CofC had scored first against Appalachian. Jimmy Holton led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and raced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Bradley Goodson. Rob Harding singled Holton home, and scored two batters later on a two-out single from Murray.

The Cougars added a run in the fourth inning with a two-out walk from Gantt, who promptly stole second. Gantt took off for third and came home on an infield single from Brandon Glazer to make it 3-0.

Aldrich hit his second double of the game in the sixth inning, scoring Heidt from second. CofC kept pushing when Goodson hit a two-out triple to the gap in right that scored Aldrich and gave the Cougars a 5-0 lead.

The Mountaineers picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth inning off of a single from Hector Crespo and double from Will Callaway to bring the score to 5-1.

Gantt took the run right back in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left field. The blast was his sixth of the season and his team-best 27th RBI of the year.

Appalachian State tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh, leading off the inning with three straight hits, including a two-RBI single from Brandon Burris to pull the score to 6-3. However, Kyle Owings came on in relief of Powell and set the next three batters down to get out of the inning.

College of Charleston added insurance in the top of the ninth inning with back-to-back solo home runs from Murray and Heidt, both coming with two out.

College of Charleston returns home to host Winthrop on Tuesday, April 10 at 6 p.m.