BOONE, N.C. (April 10, 2012) – As the ETSU softball team bundles up to stay warm Wednesday evening in Boone, the Bucs also look to package up a pair of wins in their doubleheader at Appalachian State. First pitch of the twinbill is set for 4 p.m. at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.

With temperatures slated to be around 45 degrees by first pitch and dipping below 40 once the sun sets, the Blue and Gold hope to snap their six-game losing skid and gain some much-needed momentum before stepping back into Atlantic Sun play this weekend in Jacksonville.

ETSU (10-22) started its 10-game road swing on a bumpy note as the Bucs were swept by USC Upstate on Saturday in Spartanburg. The Bucs were held to two hits in the 4-0 game one setback, while sophomore Jackie Baird (Ooltewah, Tenn.) continued her hot streak in the nightcap but it wasn’t enough to generate a split with the Spartans. Baird is hitting .410 (16-39) with three doubles, two home runs, six runs scored, and 12 RBI in her last 15 games (13 starts), and has mounted all six of her multi-hit games on the season during this impressive stretch. In addition to Baird, senior infielder Amy Campbell (Chattanooga, Tenn.) has improved her play over the last six games as she is hitting .333 since A-Sun play began on March 30, while also recording at least one hit in eight of her last 12 outings.

Meanwhile, Appalachian State (15-17) is coming off a three-game sweep over Western Carolina this past weekend in Southern Conference play, which snapped its seven-game losing skid.

The Mountaineers rank in the top-50 nationally in batting average at .297, while junior outfielder Allie Cashion leads the club with a .413 average (38-92). Cashion leads the SoCon with 12 home runs and an .870 slugging percentage, and also sits in the top-10 in on-base percentage (2nd, .509), RBIs (3rd, 38), batting average (4th), and runs scored (T5th, 27). Along with Cashion, five other Appalachian State players are hitting above .300 with Megan Rembielak (.385), Sarah Warnock (.374), and Meghan Smith (.366) all joining the junior slugger with averages above the .350 mark.

Wednesday marks the 31st and 32nd meetings between the two programs with ETSU holding a commanding 22-8 series lead, which dates back to the 2001 season. The Bucs have won three straight against the Mountaineers and 10 of their last 13 versus the former SoCon rival. The Bucs and Mountaineers were scheduled to play a doubleheader back on March 15 in Johnson City, but after completing one inning of play in game one, heavy rains dumped a large amount of water on Betty Basler Field, making the surface unplayable after the rains concluded.

Fans unable to make the trip to Boone, N.C., can watch the game live online courtesy of GoASU.TV, while live stats will be offered via Gametracker through ETSUBucs.com.

For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.