MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Appalachian State's Tyler Zupcic went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the visiting Mountaineers to an 8-5 Southern Conference victory over the College of Charleston Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point, evening the weekend series at a win apiece. The Cougars fall to 33-18 overall, 16-10 in the SoCon. App State clinches a SoCon tournament bid and improves to 29-22, 13-13.
The Cougars jumped out to a two-run lead in the second, scoring on a RBI double down the right-field line by junior 2B Rob Harding (Columbia, S.C.) that scored senior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and a sacrifice fly to right by senior C Robert Pritcher (Charleston, S.C.) that plated senior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.). Appalachian knotted the game with a pair of runs in the top of the third. After Jeremy Dowdy doubled and Hector Crespo walked, Tyler Zupcic knocked a RBI double to right center and Trey Holmes followed with a RBI single up the middle.
Charleston pulled ahead again in the bottom of the third for a 3-2 lead. A sacrifice fly to right by redshirt-junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.) brought home redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.), who walked to lead off the inning and advanced on a single by redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) and a fly out by redshirt-freshman RF Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.).
App State put up single runs in the fourth and fifth to knot the game and then take a 4-3 lead. Daniel Kassouf led off the fourth with a solo home run to center and pulled ahead on Zupcic's second RBI double of the game. The Cougars evened the score at 4-4 in the fifth as Rodriguez doubled to left and Holler lined a RBI single through the left side.
The Mountaineers tacked on three unearned runs in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead and bounce Charleston starter David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.) from the mound. Preston Troutman reached on a throwing error by Holler and after two outs, Crespo singled and Zupcic collected his third RBI base hit of the afternoon, a two-run double to left for a 6-4 App State lead. After a single by Holmes moved Zupcic to third, App State pulled a double steal and Harding muffed the throw at second, sending the ball into center as Zupcic stole home for a 7-4 ASU lead.
Charleston pulled to within two with a single run in the seventh, cutting the App State lead to 7-5. Back-to-back singles by Harding and Holler and a walk by freshman PH Brandon Murray (Nassau, Bahamas) loaded the bases for junior 1B Marty Gantt (N. Augusta, S.C.), who knocked a sacrifice fly to right to score Holler from third.
App State added an insurance run in the ninth on a RBI triple to the gap in right center by Troutman that scored Kassouf, who doubled to lead off the frame. Nathan Hyatt (6-5) picked up the win for ASU, allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings with five walks and no strikeouts. David Port earned his third save of the season, scattering three hits and allowing one run in 3-1/3 innings.
Harding led the Cougars' offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate, tying a career-high in hits. Peterson took the loss for the Cougars, allowing seven runs – four earned – on nine hits in 5-2/3 innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore RHP Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C.) gave up one run on four hits with five strikeouts in 3-1/3 innings of relief.
Charleston hosts Appalachian for the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. and can be heard on ESPN Radio 910-AM with Jeff McCarragher calling the play-by-play. The Cougars will host Senior Day before the game at 12:45 p.m., honoring 12 members of the 2011 squad.
