Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BOONE, N.C. ---- Samford fell in the opening two games of the weekend series at Appalachian State, as they lost 3-2 and 9-1.
 
Samford (9-12, 1-4 SoCon) struggled at the plate Saturday, only tallying eight hits and two runs between the two games.  Three Bulldogs earned two hits including Alex Adams, who hit her first home run of the season with a two-run shot in game one.
 
Appalachian State (9-8, 4-1 SoCon) was led by Sarah Warnock and Lindsay Loudermilk, who each drove in four runs between the two games with Warnock hitting two home runs.
 
GAME ONE: Appalachian State 3, Samford 2
 
Samford was down in an early 3-0 hole in game one, eventually fighting back within one but was ultimately unable to overcome the deficit as they fell, 3-2, in the Saturday opener.
 
Caitlin Bice (0-1) earned her first career start in the circle, throwing 3.0 innings with three earned runs while Misha Aldridge pitched 3.0 shutout relief innings behind her.  Megan Dowdy earned a pair of hits while Alex Adams drove in both of the Bulldogs' run with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
 
Alissa Schoelkopf (5-4) earned the complete-game victory for Appalachian State, throwing 75 pitches and holding the lead despite allowing six hits and three walks.
 
Samford would get two runners on base in the top of the first, but neither would come across to score.  Appalachian State would get on the board first in the bottom-half of the inning thanks to a leadoff solo homer from Sarah Warnock.  Bice would bounce back after the opening shot, shutting down the next two and freezing SoCon Player of the Week Allie Cashion with a strikeout to end the inning with the Mountaineers up 1-0.
 
Back-to-back walks would put two Bulldogs on base in the top of the second with one away and a groundout would move them into scoring position.  Neither would cross the plate however, as a groundout stranded them with the Bulldogs still trailing by one.
 
Appalachian State would move up 2-0 with another solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second and a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the third would stretch the lead to 3-0.  Despite multiple scoring opportunities in the opening innings, the Bulldogs could not bring a run across. 
 
Misha Aldridge entered to pitch in the bottom of the fourth, as Bice was on the hook for the loss with three earned runs over 3.0 innings.  The leadoff batter would reach off a fielding error and eventually move to third but would be left 60 feet away as a groundout ended the inning with Samford able to keep the game within three runs.
 
In the top of the fifth with one out, Alex Adams would get the Bulldogs on the board with a two-run homer to draw within one run, down 3-2.  Abby Adams would hit a two-out double, putting the potential tying run in scoring position, but a groundout allowed Appalachian State to hold on to the one-run lead through 4 1/2 innings.
 
The Bulldogs would get the potential tying run into scoring position in the top of the seventh with one out, but consecutive fly balls would strand her as the Bulldogs fell in game one, 3-2.
 
GAME TWO: Appalachian State 9, Samford 1 (5 Innings)
 
Samford suffered a tough loss in game two, as the Mountaineer offense came alive to put the Bulldogs in an early hole which they couldn't overcome, eventually falling 9-1 in five innings.
 
After pitching 3.0 innings in game one, Aldridge (2-1) started game two and had a rough 2.0 innings, allowing five earned runs before exiting in the top of the third.  The offense could only tally two hits as they could not catch up to a potent Mountaineer offense.
 
Shivaun Landeros (4-3) earned her fourth win of the season, throwing 5.0 innings with only two hits and one earned run off a wild pitch.  Batting eighth in the lineup, Ellie Manriquez went 2-3 while Warnock and Loudermilk drove in seven of the team's nine runs off two home runs.
 
The first scoring threat came in the bottom of the third inning, as Appalachian State led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Warnock was hit by a pitch on a 0-2 count to load the bases with nobody out.  A single up the middle would drive in the game's opening run and Loudermilk would unload the bases with a grand slam as the Mountaineers would jump ahead 5-0 with still nobody out.  That meant an early exit for Aldridge in the circle as Shelby Scott entered to pitch with a five-run deficit.  Scott stopped the bleeding, getting three quick outs as the Bulldogs came out of the third inning in a five-run hole.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, a leadoff walk and a one-out single put Appalachian State runners on the corners and Warnock padded the Mountaineers lead with a three-run homer to make it an eight-run game.
 
Looking to avoid the run-rule ending in the fifth inning, Abby Adams led off the half-inning with a single and Bice was walked to put two on with nobody out.  Kayla Shaffer reached on a fielder's choice as Adams was out at third and the pair advanced into scoring position with a groundout.  Bice would score on a wild pitch and Shaffer would move to third as the Bulldogs scored their first run of the game.  A groundout ended the inning but Samford avoided the run-rule as Appalachian State led by seven, up 8-1.
 
Samford would not get another opportunity to score as Appalachian State sealed the run-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double to make the final score 9-1.
 
The teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday, March 17 at 1 p.m. ET.