By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball has hired Ricky Meinhold as the program’s pitching coach, head coach Kermit Smith announced Monday.

Over a 13-year coaching career, Meinhold has worked across nearly every level of baseball, coaching collegiately, in Minor League Baseball, in Major League Baseball, as well as internationally – highlighted by a stint as assistant pitching coach for the New York Mets.

A Good Fit

“After our first conversation, it was clear who our next pitching coach needed to be,” Smith said. “Ricky and I connected on a number of different levels from our belief on family to the development of pitchers. I am as excited about his mentorship of our student-athletes as I am of his ability to develop our pitchers. Hillary, Carter and Charlie will make a great impact in the Boone community. We just hit an absolute home run with Ricky and his family.”

Born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Springfield, Mo., and Campbell, Calif., Meinhold most recently served as the pitching coach for the University of Missouri. Prior to a one-year stint with the Tigers, Meinhold served as the Director of Pitching for the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization. Under his leadership, the Giants’ rotation recorded a 3.55 ERA, good for third best in the league, after finishing eighth place or worse in ERA in the previous five seasons.

“What a journey this has been. Since the first conversation with Kermit, I felt a strong connection through our beliefs in not only pitching and baseball, but leadership, family and faith,” Meinhold said. “I am excited to help bring the vision to reality in continuing to build a program that not only competes for Sun Belt Championships consistently, but Omaha as well.

“My family and I are excited to serve these student-athletes, the University and the Boone Community. Thank you to Coach Smith, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin and Deputy Athletics Director Jonathan Reeder for their confidence in me to lead this pitching staff. We can’t wait to get started.”

Diverse Career

Meinhold spent eight seasons working in a variety of capacities for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets organizations. In 2019, Meinhold was hired as the Mets’ pitching coordinator where he was charged with creating and implementing all pitching programs, philosophies and development initiatives across all levels of the organization – blending experiential data with data-driven programs. In 2021, Meinhold was promoted to Assistant Major League Pitching coach, leading the Mets’ staff to post a 3.90 team ERA that ranked ninth in MLB and fifth in the National League.

Previously, in six seasons with the Cardinals, he worked in the organization’s scouting department, where he provided the front office with player evaluation reports to assist in the organization’s player transactions, from domestic and international amateur scouting to domestic and international professional scouting. Also included in his responsibilities were advance scouting projects in the regular season and postseason. He also assisted with pitching development in the Cardinals throughout the entire organization creating systems and processes still used today. Additionally, he served as a mentor for coaches within the Cardinals’ Minor League system. Meinhold previously worked for the Cardinals during the 2014 season as an assistant coach for the High-A affiliate Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League.

Before working in player development, Meinhold served as a pitching coach and pitching evaluator for Team USA’s 17U and 18U programs. He led the most successful 18U pitching staff ever assembled for international play in the 2017 WBSC World Cup, as the staff posted a 0.47 ERA on their way to winning a gold medal. The team included current/former MLB pitchers Ryan Weathers (San Diego Padres, 1st Round) and Matt Liberatore (Tampa Bay Rays, 1st Round, St. Louis Cardinals). Among the nine pitcher-only members, all have been drafted and are currently playing professional baseball.

A 2009 graduate from Drury University (Springfield, Mo.), where he was a baseball and basketball student-athlete, Meinhold went on to play three years of professional baseball as a left-handed pitcher. He began his coaching career at Lindenwood University, where he was part of the program’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

In 2011, Meinhold was hired as the pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant athletic director at Division II Coker College, where he also earned his master’s degree in 2013.

Meinhold and his wife, Hillary, have a son, Carter, and a daughter, Charlie.

What they’re saying about Meinhold…

“I have known Ricky several years now through my association with USA Baseball and our professional and college baseball circles. Ricky is very professional, experienced, knowledgeable, hardworking and up on the latest technology and fundamentals to improve App State’s pitching staff. He has a great ability to relate to the players, instill belief and confidence, and is a great competitor. Every player he teaches, develops, improves and competes. App State Baseball got a winner and a truly talented and passionate pitching coach to help them win the Sun Belt Conference and compete with the very best.”

Jack Leggett
Clemson Head Coach 1994-2015
Manager 18U USA National Team 2018-2019
ABCA Hall of Fame 2014

“From the moment we first hired Ricky here at the Cardinals, we knew he had a tremendous ability to combine new-age pitching technologies and data analytics with relatable pitching philosophies. Ricky’s rapport with players and staff alike has always been a high-quality trait for him. Ricky and his wife, Hillary, are tremendous parents and will fit in well within the App State community. Congrats to Coach Smith in hiring a gem in Ricky Meinhold.”

Matt Slater
St. Louis Cardinals, Special Assistant to the General Manager, Player Procurement

“First and foremost, Ricky Meinhold is a man of high character and integrity. With an impressive resumé in both college and pro baseball, Ricky is on the cutting edge of pitching data and analytics metrics. However, Ricky also has the unique ability to teach and communicate effectively. App State Baseball has just become a cut above the rest of the league competition in the Sun Belt Conference.”

Kevin Burrell
Chicago White Sox, Scout

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By David Rogers. BRISBANE, Australia. — Taking advantage of a “flat and fast” course, Blowing Rock’s Josh Izewski was the top U.S. finisher in the Gold Coast Marathon’s elite field on July 2 “down under” (it was July 1 in the U.S.), crossing the finish line at No. 5 in 2:11:26.

Izewski is a member of the ZAP Endurance elite running team based in Blowing Rock and had already qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, but accepted a late, fully funded invitation to compete against the elite Gold Coast field just a few weeks before the race when contacted by a sports agent with the opportunity.

“Josh had already met the qualifying standard for the U.S. Olympic Trials, in the Houston Marathon, which is not as flat,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea, “but we said, ‘What the heck.’ It was an opportunity to lower his personal best and see another part of the world all at the same time, without adversely impacting his training regimen as he points toward next year’s Olympics.”

Izewski finished behind Naoki Koyama of Japan (2:07:40) at No. 1, Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo of Kenya (2:08:26), Liam Adams of Australia (2:08:39), and Wilfred Kimitei, also of Kenya (2:09:47).

In the elite men’s division, the 75 athletes represented Kenya, Australia, Japan, the U.S., New Zealand, French Polynesia, Indonesia, and Great Britain. Given the venue, the vast majority were from Australia.

Koyama defeated a strong field and set a new Gold Coast Marathon course record when he broke away from the pack of about eight runners late in the race to finish 10 seconds ahead of the previous course record set in 2019 by Yuta Shitara of Japan.

FLAT AND FAST

The Gold Coast course has but few deviations from an “up and back” path, along the east coast of the Southern Hemisphere nation, some 1,900 miles south of the equator with temperatures generally ranging from 51 degrees Fahrenheit to about 70 degrees during the winter, according to information cleaned from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology website.

Izewski’s pace was fairly steady throughout the 42.195 kilometers’ distance, or 26.2188 miles that is advertised as “Australia’s fastest, flattest, and most scenic course in Queensland…”

“This course was flat and fast — and Josh ran an even race,” reported his coach, Rea. “There is always a tendency among runners to go overly fast in the opening stages of a long race, but Josh ran smartly. His opening 5km was his fastest, at 15:23, or a 3:04/k pace or roughly a 4:56 mile pace. But he settled into a steady, 3:06/k pace, or 4:59/mile for a good part of the race, then picked it up to 3:05 (4:57) heading into the finish, with 12 kilometers to go. In part, of course, those times reflect the flat nature of the course, but they also suggest that Josh ran within himself.”

Izewski’s new personal best also tied the ZAP Endurance club record set just this past April 16th by teammate Andrew Colley, in the NN Rotterdam Marathon, in The Netherlands.

“It is somewhat bizarre,” said Rea, “that Josh ran exactly the same marathon time, to the second, as Andrew’s club record set just two months earlier on a different course, in Rotterdam, which is also fairly flat. Well, maybe not bizarre, but a remarkable factoid of ZAP’s 2023 season.”

Especially given the flat and fast nature of the Gold Coast course, ZAP’s Rea was asked how much improvement Izewski might be able to see.

“Josh was a highly recruited high school running star and went to the University of Florida. The college running scene can be a pressure cooker and I think Josh got a little burned out in pure running. So for four years he was a professional triathlete. He had a swimming background, too, so for those four years mixed it up with the three different disciplines (swim, cycle, run), but was not focused purely on running,” said Rea.

“When Josh came to us in 2018,” Rea added, “you might even say he had fresh legs. He is now 33 years old, but I think his legs are those of a man about 28. So he has the potential for peaking at an older, chronological age than many of his peers. These days, both men and women seem to be peaking at older ages largely because as an industry we know a lot more about nutrition and recovery than we did a generation ago, when I was competing.”

Interestingly, Colley’s and Izewski’s 2:11:26 now rank them tied for 15th among the fastest U.S. marathoners qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials scheduled for Feb. 3, in Orlando, Fla. The top qualifier is Connor Mantz’s 2:08:16, established in the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9, 2022.

UPCOMING ZAP ENDURANCE PERFORMANCES

On a not so flat course, Tristin Van Ord and Andrew Colley are entered in the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta on July 4. They will be among the roughly 50 elite athletes in each gender starting at the front of the field, which historically has drawn over 50,000 runners for the 10K event.

Meanwhile, ZAP Endurance teammates Ryan Ford and Dan Schaffer have qualified and will compete in the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, July 6-9, in Eeugene, Ore. Schaffer will compete in the 1500 meters while Ford will “double,” competing in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian FC shrugged off playing short-handed after a “send off,” battling to a 1-0 National Premier Soccer League win over the Georgia Revolution on July 1 to secure a place in the upcoming Southeast Conference playoffs.

Ham Lovett punched in the lone Sasquatch goal in the 23rd minute but then punched out of the match with a send-off for dangerous play midway through the second half, in the 62nd minute after receiving his second yellow card.

Forced to play a man down in the field, Appalachian FC picked up the intensity, defensively, and prevented the Revolution from scoring even in the waning minutes when the Georgia goalkeeper left the net and joined the attack, essentially making it 12 vs. 10.

After the game, Appalachian FC head coach Dale Parker was pleased with the overall effort.

“I am very proud of our guys for their tenacity and courage in the face of adversity,” Parker said. “It is unfortunate that we put ourselves in that situation but everyone stepped up.”

For this game, Parker said, they modified their usual aggressive, attacking style and added an extra defender.

“We like to attack, but we were giving up more goals than we were putting in. When you average giving up more than two goals a soccer match, that isn’t going to get the job done. So we settled for a less aggressive approach.

Playoffs Ahead

Based on the current league standings published in the National Premier Soccer League standings and the playoffs structure, Appalachian FC has the slightest edge over Charlottetown Hops for second place in the 6-team Southeast Conference of the NPSL. Both teams have 4-3-2 records, but Appalachian FC has 19 goals for vs. 15 against, while Charlottetown has scored 17 goals vs. 15 allowed. Except perhaps for determining who gets to host the conference semifinal, the difference is moot since the playoff structure has the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed. Assuming this scenario holds true, No. 1 Apotheos (5-1-3) will face No. 4 Georgia Revolution (4-6-0). At 2-4-3 and 2-5-2. respectively, 865 Alliance and Georgia Storm will be the teams left out of the playoffs.

Ironically, two of Appalachian FC’s three conference losses during the regular season were to Charlottetown, both considered hard-fought, if not controversial.

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• National Premier Soccer League
• Appalachian FC

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BONUS PHOTOS

All photographic images by David Rogers

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Stormy skies threatened, then disappeared on July 1 at Smith Stadium where the Boone Bigfoots edged the HP-Thomasville HiToms, 7-6.

Both teams had good offensive production early in the game, resulting in  a 5-5 score by the end of the fourth inning. After three innings of shutout ball, the Bigfoots got back to business and followed the HiToms’ eighth inning run with a tally in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, then another in the 10th inning for the win.

In the bottom of the 8th, after the HiToms had poked ahead, 6-5, in the top half of the inning, the Bigfoots threatened to tie when Justin Reed walked and Watauga High School alum Tristan Salinas was inserted as a pinch runner. The former Pioneer hardballer survived two pickoff attempts, then stole both second base and third base, putting himself in scoring position to potentially tie the game. Unfortunately, he was left stranded on third to end the inning.

Boone’s shortstop, Jalen Vasquez, took care of things, though, in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to knot the score at 6-6. Then Will Dorrell, who had left Salinas stranded on third an inning earlier, redeemed himself with a single to left, scoring Carlos Amezquita from third base to win the day.

Righthanded starting pitcher Dakota Crumbley (1-1) was credited as the winning pitcher with the HiToms’ Cam Padgitt picking up the loss. Boone’s closer, Cordarius Butler, recorded his sixth save on the year.

With the win, Boone (10-12) settles into the West Division’s fourth place as the Coastal Plain League approaches the midway point of the season.

TOP BIGFOOTS PERFORMERS

• Rhogue Wallace: 3-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B, HR
• Will Dorrell: 3-5, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, 3B, SB
• Caden Wagner: 1-5, 1 RBI, 2B
• Jalen Vasquez: 1-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, HR

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By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — An estimated five thousand people came out of the downtown woodwork to watch Blowing Rock go to the dogs, dinosaurs, sharks and Elvis impersonators on July 1. Oh, and there were a myriad number of Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross lookalikes. Of course, it was the annual Blowing Rock 4th of July Parade down Main Street, with lots of fun had by all.

There were elected officials, cloggers, old cars — and candy thrown in every direction to a scramble of youngsters, many of whom came prepared with large plastic bags to in which to store their captured treasures. Trick or treating on Halloween never had it so good.

Noticeably missing: marching bands and App State.

In all, according to Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce sources, there were 75 parade entries and it took just under an hour for them all to make their way down Main Street and through the teeming throng.

CAPTURED MOMENTS

All photographic images by David Rogers

Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce

Town of Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock TDA

By Joey Jones for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – App State Athletics will celebrate the beginning of the 2023-24 athletics calendar with FanFest, presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

The event will run from 3:30-6 p.m. and give fans the opportunity to interact with their favorite fall sport student-athletes.

FanFest  features an hour-long autograph signing session from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. with student-athletes from the football, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, cross country, cheer and dance teams.

Additionally, there will be inflatables and other interactive games at FanFest. Concessions stands will be open for food and beverages.

Fans are encouraged to park in the Rivers Street Deck, the Stadium Deck (off Jack Branch Drive, past Raven Rocks Hall) or the Justice Lot (off Stadium Drive, behind New River Hall). Spaces are subject to availability.

The 2023 football season kicks off Sept. 3 with a home game against Gardner-Webb. The Sept. 16 home game against East Carolina will be Family Weekend, while Homecoming is slated for Oct. 28 against Southern Miss and Heroes Day is scheduled for Nov. 4 against Marshall. Black Saturday will be Nov. 25 against Georgia Southern.

RELATED LINKS

• App State Sports

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In so many respects, it was a home run. If the Equip Sports 9-and-under team had won their last game on June 25, the weekend would have been a grand slam.

The Boone-based Equip Sports Ministry hosted the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken 9U state baseball tournament on June 24-25, but the organizers had to be flexible.

“The event was scheduled for June 22-25,” said Equip 9U’s head coach Brandon Sutherland, “but rain last week forced us to compress the tournament to just two days, on Saturday and Sunday.”

Equip Sports Ministry is an outreach athletic program of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, offering sports-related opportunities at a number of age levels.

“Being asked to host a state tournament is an exciting opportunity,” said Sutherland. “Ten teams from across North Carolina were invited to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful venues and views at Mount Vernon and Watauga High School. Because of the earlier, near constant rain, we had to play 18 games in just two days on two fields.”

They got it done. Organizing the competition field into pools for round robin play, then assigning and seeding the top teams into a bracket pf single elimination rounds. The Equip 9U All-Stars won their pool on Saturday by defeating Davidson County, 19-1, in four innings (a “mercy rule” or “run rule” was in effect) and South Park, Charlotte, 13-3 in six innings. Equip’s performance on Saturday earned the High Country’s only tournament representative the No. 3 seed as one of three 2-0 teams from the three round robin pools.

Game 1

“Easton Casey started on the mound for us and earned the victory over Davidson,” Sutherland said in describing the first game win. “He allowed only two hits, one earned run and one walk. with four strikeouts during his two innings of work. Bryce Sutherland closed the game, allowing no hits, runs or walks with 1 strikeout in two innings of work.”

While Equip’s pitching silenced the Davidson bats, Coach Sutherland applauded the team’s offensive production.

“Greyson Powers and Bryce Sutherland lead the offense as each had two hits in the game. Equip managed 10 hits and drew 10 walks. Lawson Isaacs, Easton Casey, and Beckett Reeder each managed 2 RBIs in the game.”

Game 2

The second game was against a strong Charlotte-based opponent, South Park.

“Because it was tournament play, we had to save arms and limit the number of pitches. Lawson Isaacs got the win on the hill for us over South Park,” said Sutherland. “Lawson surrendered no hits, one earned run and three walks in an inning and a third. Bryce Sutherland pitched one and two-thirds innings, allowing no hits, earned runs or walks. Hickson Beekman also threw one inning allowing 1 hit, 2 walks and no earned runs. He was followed on the mound by Beckett Reeder, who threw one and one third innings while allowing no hits, just one earned run on three walks with two strikeouts. Nathan Dilley closed the game with just three pitches, all strikes, to record the final two outs.”

With a 13-3 outcome, Equip also had to have good run production with their bats.

“We had 10 hits and drew five walks resulting in a busy day on the bases,” said Sutherland. “Greyson Powers, Lawson Isaacs, and Bryce Sutherland each had two hits in the game while Isaac Burroughs scored four runs. Isaacs accounted for five RBIs.”

Quarterfinals

Winning both games in pool play earned Equip the No. 3 seed in the 8-team, single elimination bracket leading to the championship. In the quarterfinal matchup, Equip handled No. 6-seeded Matthews, 14-1, before shutting out No. 2 Surry County in the semifinals, 3-0.

“Bryce Sutherland began on the mound and earned the win for Equip against Matthews,” said Coach Sutherland. “Bryce threw one inning and allowed just one hit, no runs and no walks in that opening frame.

“Lawson Isaacs threw two innings in relief,” added the head coach, “allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in two innings’ work. Matthews recorded an unearned run in the second inning. Isaac Burroughs closed the game on the mound for the fourth inning with no hits, no walks and no runs allowed while recording one strikeout. At the plate Isaac Burroughs, Easton Casey and Bryce Sutherland managed two hits each and our batters, as a whole, demonstrated a lot of patience in drawing 13 walks. Noah Fisk led the way with three walks and two RBIs in the game.”

Semifinals

The semi-final game was an intense, defensive battle with Surry County.

“Greyson Powers was on the mound for Equip and threw a six-inning, no-hitter,” said Sutherland. “He allowed only two walks and recorded seven strikeouts.  Meanwhile, Equip scored two runs in the first and one in the sixth, all with two outs.  You have to give some credit to the Surry County pitchers in this pitching duel because Equip batters managed just four hits and drew only three walks.  Easton Casey had two hits while Hickson Beekman and Clayton Isaacs managed a hit against a strong duo of pitchers from Surry.”

Championship Game

Equip came up short in the championship game at Watauga High on Sunday evening vs. a dominant Sandhills Optimist team.

“Sandhills went 5-0 on the weekend by surrendering only two runs through the five games. We were shut out in the final, managing only one hit by Isaac Burroughs and drawing two walks in the game, but overall we are proud of our team’s weekend performances.”

Equip 9U is coached by Sutherland, Sean Burroughs and Matt Fisk.

“On behalf of the entire Equip 9U program, we want to thank Watauga High School, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, and all the Equip families and volunteers for their work and support of the tournament,” Sutherland concluded. “And we would also like to thank our sponsors: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Wendy’s, Farm Bureau, Coca-Cola, Blue Ridge Pediatrics, VPC Builders, Movement Mortgage, and Holton Mountain Rentals.”

Click HERE for more information about Equip.

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — What started off as a slugfest — 11-7 after just two innings — ended with more of a whimper. In came in the form of a Boone Bigfoots rally from behind in the late innings to defeat the Lexington County Blowfish, 12-11, on June 28 at Smith Stadium.

The Blowfish got the offensive fireworks started in the top of the first with four runs, including a 3-run blast off the bat of catcher Ryan Ouzts.

Controversy Brews

But in the bottom half of the first, Lexington’s starter on the mound, Beckett White, lost his composure in alleging that a Bigfoots player was stealing signs. He had just given up a pair of runs on singles by Nadir Lewis and Tyson Bass when he started to complain. The Bigfoots piled on with a verbal barrage from the dugout when White hit the next batter, Boone newcomer Brandon Rogers. After a passed ball that allowed Rogers to advance to second and Tyson Bass to advance to third, Max Weller ripped triple to the gap in center, scoring both runners. A wild pitch by White allowed Weller to score from third and it kept getting worse with a walk to J C Navarro and consecutive singles by Rhogue Wallace and Carlos Amezquita.

By the time White got a third out, the Bigfoots had taken a 7-4 lead — and it was just the first inning.

Bigfoots Rally Late

Some might have called the action in the top of the second inning “payback” for all the previous Bigfoot taunting when Lexington County batted around, producing six runs to take a 10-7 lead and then shutting down the Boone crew. In fact, neither team could push another run across the plate until the Bigfoots tallied five more runs over the 6th(1), 7th(1) and 8th(3) innings. The 8th inning production was highlighted by a 2-run single off the bat of Tyson Bass and a sacrifice fly to center from Rogers.

With the win, the Bigfoots (9-10) solidified their hold on 4th place in the West Division of the Coastal Plain League. At 10-8, Lexington County is in third place, behind Forest City (13-6) and Macon Bacon (11-8).

CLICK HERE for Box Score and Play by Play

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — After a break in the weather that allowed the Boone Bigfoots to make-up at least one game with a doubleheader against the Martinsville Mustangs on June 25, the local baseball team earned a split decision. They defeated the Mustangs at Smith Stadium, 4-1, in the curtain-raiser but fell to the visitors in the nightcap, 7-5.

A six and one half-hour bus ride from Macon, Ga., where they played a day earlier against the Macon Bacon left the Bigfoots all but exhausted as they arrived at Smith Stadium just an hour before the first game was set to begin.

GAME 1

Starting pitcher Dante Chirico, an App State team member during the spring, was in good form against Martinsville in the first game. He pitched four innings of shutout ball before giving up a run in the fifth inning and then yielding to reliever Lawrence Gallo. Chirico face 22 batters, allowing the one run on four hits, walking four and striking out five.

Neither Gallo nor closer Cordarius Butler allowed a run in what was kept as a 7-inning game to accommodate the doubleheader.

Offensively, the Bigfoots opened the game with a run in the first inning when leadoff batter Andrew McDermott cracked a double to center and Nadir Lewis drove him home with a single to left two batters later.

With Chirico, Gallo and Butler all in top form from the mound, Boone added single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

BOX SCORE AND PLAY BY PLAY

GAME 2

Martinsville earned the split decision in Game 2 with a middle innings rally and a strong pitching performance by Ryan Friesen, who kept the Bigfoots bats mostly silent through four innings of work. The righthander allowed a pair of runs on three hits, walking one and striking out three during his stint on the mound.

The Bigfoots countered in the second game with Dakota Crumbley on the hill, who likewise put in four innings of work before getting into trouble in the top of the fifth. For the day, Crumbley gave up four runs on just one hit, with four walks and a strikeout. Reliever Nate McKissick didn’t fare much better, allowing three runs on three hits in just two innings.

The Bigfoots’ four fielding errors, two by Crumbley, did not help their cause.

The visiting Mustangs’ Drew Needham went 2-4 at the plate, including a home run, producing two runs scored and two RBIs. For the Bigfoots, Tyler Bass smacked a home run and two doubles to go 3-3, with three runs scored and three RBIs. Max Weller helped Boone’s cause at the plate, too, going 1-3 with 2 RBIs.

Next action for the Bigfoots is an June 26 road tilt against Forest Cirty, where they hope to reverse their fortunes so far this season against the Owls, who have proven Boone’s nemesis in Coastal Plain League action.

CLICK HERE: BOX SCORE AND PLAY BY PLAY

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BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers BOONE, N.C. — Equip Sports rallied with five runs in the third inning and added three more in the fourth but it was not enough to overcome Mission Prospects of Tennessee on June 24 at Smith Stadium. Mission built on a seven-run, second inning explosion to cruise to a 14-8 win.

While Equip hurlers struggled on the mound, there were some individual highlights in offensive production for the local side:

• J J Everett was 1-for-3, scored a run and his double in the third inning collected two RBIs
• Aaron King: 2-2, 2 runs scored
• Lawson: 1-2, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, 2B
• Bryce Scheffler: 2-3, 1 run scored
• Chase Gillin: 1-3, 1 run scored
• Sam Greene: 1-2, 1 run scored
• Miller Hankins: 1 run scored

BONUS PHOTOS