BOONE, N.C. -- Tyler Zupic's bases loaded two-run double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Appalachian State to a 6-5 win over Furman in the SoCon regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Smith Stadium.

The win gave Appalachian State (20-32, 12-14 SoCon) the series victory two games to one over Furman (23-31, 11-15 SoCon), which finished eighth in the regular season standings.  The Paladins will face No. 9 seed UNCG in the opening game of the SoCon Tournament, scheduled for Tuesday noon at Charleston's Joseph P. Riley Park, with the winner advancing into Wednesday's double elimination round to face regular season champion and tournament No. 1 seed Western Carolina in a 1:00 p.m. contest.

Zupic's game winning hit came after the Mountaineers got a one-out single from Tyler Stroup and Preston Troutman reached on a dropped pop fly error in short right field by Paladin second baseman Jordan SImpson.  After a four-pitch walk by Michael Pierson loaded the bases, Zupic served Paladin reliever Alex Abrams' no-ball, two-strike offering into left field to score Stroup and Troutman for the game winner.

The Paladins rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game in the fifth on Hunter Burton's three-run triple — the 14th of his career that tied the school career standard by Jody Wade (1996-99). Furman took the lead an inning later on Alex Abrams' sacrifice fly, which scored Chris Ohmstede, who had doubled to lead off.

It remained a one-run game until the decisive bottom of the ninth.

Furman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on a Greg Harrison sacrifice fly that plated Burton.

Appalachian went up, 2-1, in the second against Paladin starter Tyler Wood and made it 4-1 in the third on Tyler Zupic's two-run home run to left field.

Burton paced Furman's eight-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

The Mountaineers registered 11 hits, led by Dillon Dobson (3-for-4, run), Zupic (2-for-5, 4 RBI), and Troutman (2-for-5, 2 runs).

Taylor Thurber (1-6) earned the win after coming on with two outs in the seventh and runners at first and third.  He struck out Harrison to end the inning and worked the final two scoreless frames.

Abrams (6-2) took the loss after working a scoreless eight and running into trouble in the ninth.

Wood allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out seven over six innings before departing with a 5-4 lead.

Appalachian State starter Jeffrey Springs was tagged for five runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.  He walked two and fanned five.