Special Report to Blowing Rock News from GoASU. February 16, 2012. CHARLOTTE, NC -- Appalachian State University softball earned a split versus in-state foe Charlotte with a 3-1 victory  and a  6-1 setback in the nightcap on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. at D.L. Phillips Softball Complex.

This was the second-straight season that the Mountaineers (2-4) and the 49ers (2-2) split a pair of contests, and Charlotte holds a 20-5 lead in the all-time series with ASU.

In the first game, ASU's senior Caitlin Wainright pitched a gem to earn her first win of the season in a complete-game three-hitter with six strikeouts.  The Greenville, N.C. native only gave up one run to improve her ERA to 2.30 in 24.1 innings this season.

The Niners' Katie Watkins threw seven innings with 10 strikeouts, three hits and two earned runs.

Charlotte struck first when Briana Gwaltney recorded a sacrifice fly to score Alex Rogers, who lead off with a double, in the first inning.

Junior Allie Cashion blasted a two-run home run down the left field line to give the Mountaineers a 2-1 lead in the fourth-inning. Cashion leads Appalachian with three home runs and five RBIs this season.

The Mountaineers increased their lead in the fifth with the help of a pair of errors from Charlotte to give ASU a 3-1 advantage.

Wainright finished the last three frames with one hit and was able to strand a pair of Niners.

In the nightcap, the Niners were on the board early again when Natalie Capone scored on a Kalie Lang RBI single for a 1-0 lead after the one.

Charlotte batted around to tag four more runs in the second.  The Niners used some clutch hitting with three RBI singles and were able to capitalize on a Mountaineer miscue to increase UNCC's lead to 5-0.

The Mountaineers didn't go down without a fight as senior Michelle Lighton blasted two-out triple and scored on a double from Meghan Smith.

UNCC's Lexi Bentancourt scattered eight hits to give up one run in her second-straight complete-game victory.

ASU's Caroline Williams started for the Apps and pitched 1.1 innings on five hits and four earned runs.  Freshman Caroline Wainright came in relief and pitched 4.2 innings with three strikeouts, five hits and an earned run.

Michelle Gorzelle, Williams and Smith each batted 2-for-6 for the day, and Cashion tallied two RBIs while Smith recorded one.

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