Friday, Concord's Baseball team generated just three hits in a doubleheader split at Ohio Valley.
Saturday, the Mountain Lions got the bats going.
Sparked by a leadoff home run from Randy Beard in the top of the 1st of the first game, Concord banged out 25 hits in sweeping OVU, 8-5 and 24-5, at City Park in Parkersburg, WV.
In game one, Concord jumped on OVU starter Kyle York for four runs in the top of the 1
st. After Beard's leadoff home run (his first collegiate longball), York hit Keith Morrisroe with a pitch. With one out, Morrisroe stole second, and advanced to third on Greyson Schram's single to left.
Brooks Cullen doubled to left to score Morrisroe, and
Devin Smith brought in Cullen with a groundout. Schram would score on an error by SS Brent Humphrey.
Concord added another run in the 3rd. Schram led off with a bunt single, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on Cullen's flyout to center, and scored on another York wild pitch.
CU starting pitcher Chastin Akers – the reigning WVIAC Co-Pitcher of the Week – logged his second consecutive complete-game victory. He scattered six hits, giving up five runs – four earned. He walked two and struck out three, and induced ten groundball outs.
He scuffled in the 3rd, when Brent Humphrey drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Joshua Saavedra bunted for an infield single, and Chaz Mohler drove in Humphrey with a single. Akers got the second out, but threw a wild pitch to score Saavedra, pulling the Fighting Scots within 5-2.
Akers stumbled in the 6th. Mohler reached on an error, Ryan Barber singled to right and Joe Hallinan launched a three-run home run that lifted OVU within 6-5 – with nobody out.
But Akers settled down and closed out the game by retiring the Fighting Scots' last six batters.
The Mountain Lions scored two important insurance runs in the top of the 7
th, on an RBI single by
Devin Smith and a sacrifice fly from Ian Humphrey.
Schram finished the game 3-3 with three runs scored. Beard was 2-4 and scored twice.
There was very little doubt to game two. The Mountain Lions pounced for six runs in the first, ten in the second and five more in the 4th. By the time the game ended, Concord banged out 17 hits and scored 24 runs, 18 of them earned.
The Mountain Lions launched five home runs; Cullen and Schram each hit a grand slam, Cullen in the 1st and Schram in the 4th. Huffer, Beard and Humphrey also homered.
Huffer was CU's starting pitcher and worked four innings to get the win. He allowed two runs on five hits while walking none and striking out six. David Allen threw the final three innings, striking out five.
Concord (6-2, 3-1 WVIAC South) is scheduled to visit outgoing WVIAC member Salem International for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 24th. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm EDT.
