BOONE, N.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team rallied to tie its out-of-conference game against Appalachian State in the seventh inning on Tuesday night, but the tight contest fell to the opposition as the Mountaineers held on for a 8-6 victory at Smith Stadium.
PC moves to 18-20 on the season, while Appalachian State moves to 22-17.
Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) paced the Blue Hose with three hits, two RBI and one run. Tony Micklon (Sumter, S.C.) and Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) each chipped in with a pair of RBI as well and Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.) and Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) posted two hits each.
Rightfielder Jack Myers led ASU with three hits and two RBI.
PC used six pitchers but Matt Nodelman (Columbia, S.C.) took the loss despite allowing only one run in one and two-thirds innings. The loss marked the first decision Nodelman has received this year. David Port earned the win for Appalachian State.
PC mounted a rally in the seventh inning to tie the game after trailing by three runs. Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) walked to lead off the seventh before Zebedis smacked a 0-1 double to left field for his third hit of the day and to put two in scoring position for Micklon with nobody out. The junior delivered, slicing a double to the right field corner that scored Grammer and Zebedis and pulled PC within one, 6-5.
Micklon tagged up and made it to third on a Paul fly ball to right field foul territory on the first out of the inning. Another fly ball from Horton gave Micklon plenty of room to tag up again and score the tying run at 6-6.
PC's lead would prove short-lived, however, as Appalachian State found three singles in the bottom of the inning to score the go-ahead run, 7-6. Grammer mitigated the damage by throwing out catcher Jeremy Dowdy at home after Dowdy tried to score from second on a single.
The Blue Hose threatened again in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, but new pitcher Taylor Miller escaped with a strikeout as the score remained in ASU's favor, 7-6.
Appalachian State scored once more in the eighth and PC's battle against Miller fell short as the Mountaineers won, 8-6.
Starting pitcher Steven Richardson (Howe, Texas) found himself in a jam early on, putting two on after a pair of singles in the first inning. The junior acquitted himself in style, however, getting third baseman Zack Briggs to swing at strike three followed by striking out designated hitter Daniel Kassouf as Horton caught centerfielder Tyler Zupcic trying to steal third for a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play to end the inning.
The Mountaineers drew first blood in the bottom of the second. Shortstop Will Calloway pulled a ball that fell narrowly fair on the right-field line to bring around a run and take a 1-0 lead. An infield single then drove in Callaway to make the score 2-0 after two in favor of Appalachian State.
The Blue Hose wasted little time in cutting the ASU lead in half, scoring one run in the top of the third. John Wagner (Olney, Md.) drew a 3-1 walk and took advantage of an error and fielder's choice to reach third base. Staring at two outs, Zebedis ripped a line drive to left field that plated Wagner and brought PC within one, 2-1.
Appalachian State extended its lead in the bottom of the frame, taking one out to load the bases on righthander Ryan Morris (Jamestown, R.I.). Fellow righthander Chad White (Suwanee, Ga.) entered the game and nearly forced a double play but a run scored on the ball hit to second and the Mountaineers retook its two run lead, 3-1.
Horton ended the inning by catching another stealing baserunner, this time at second base.
ASU added two more in the fourth to go up 5-1.
The Blue Hose picked up two runs in the fifth as PC attempted to battle back. The rally began with a Williams single to right field and continued with a fielding error by the ASU shortstop to bring Grammer aboard. Zebedis then reached on a fielder's choice and Micklon loaded the bases after the catcher Dowdy interfered with a Micklon at-bat.
With the bases full of Blue Hose, Paul fought off a 1-2 pitch to right field for a single that drove in Williams and kept the bases juiced. Horton completed the scoring in the inning with a ball to the shortstop that allowed Zebedis to come home from third and narrow the gap, 5-3.
Appalachian State loaded the bases in the sixth but PC limited the Mountaineers to one run via a walk. With one away, the Blue Hose turned to Nodelman, who promptly earned a strikeout and forced a foul pop-up to limit the scoring to the lone run and get out of the inning down three, 6-3. The quick outs set the stage for PC's seventh-inning rally and tie.
The Blue Hose next head to Gardner-Webb for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday in Boiling Springs, N.C. The series begins on Friday night at 6 p.m. and wraps with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
