DIVISION HOPES DIMMED

MOUNTAIN LIONS DROP 3 OF 4 AT WEST VIRGINIA STATE

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The Concord Baseball team's hopes for a WVIAC Southern Division championship suffered a serious setback over the weekend. The Mountain Lions dropped three of four games at West Virginia State to fall 1½ games behind the Yellow Jackets for the division lead.

The four-game set in Institute on Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th was the only time Concord (15-5, 7-4 WVIAC South) and WV State (19-6, 8-2) will meet in the regular season.

Concord went into the series on the ten-game winning streak and ranked #3 in the Atlantic Region.

SATURDAY, GAME ONE: West Virginia State 5, Concord 3

The series began on a promising note. In the top of the 1st, Keith Morrisroe hit a one-out single to right, and Donovan Huffer launched a two-run home run to right to CU a quick 2-0 lead.

Aided by a hit batsman from CU starter Trey Smith in the bottom of the 1st, the Yellow Jackets would score on Joey Jobst's RBI single.

WVSU struck again in the 4th. Jeremy Fisher doubled to left; Smith hit Robert Hawkins with a pitch, then threw a wild pitch that moved Fisher to third. Billy Smith singled to drive in Fisher. Cody Dalton singled, as did Josh Bower, for a 3-2 lead. Bo Darby drove in a run with another single, and Jobst's grounder brought in the final run of the rally.

Concord edged closer in the 5th, loading the bases with one out. WVSU starter Ryne Holstine hit Huffer with a pitch to bring in a run, but recovered to strike out Greyson Schram and getting Brooks Cullen to ground out.

Huffer went 2-3 with a two-run home run to lead Concord. Ian Humphrey went 2-3. Smith worked six innings, allowing ten hits and five runs, all earned. He struck out four.

Darby was 3-3 with an RBI for the Yellow Jackets. 

SATURDAY, GAME TWO: Concord 10, West Virginia State 1

Concord head coach has spoken of his affinity for what he calls “two-way players” – guys good enough to be starting position players on a day-to-day basis, then take their turn in the starting pitching rotation.

Brooks Cullen epitomized the “two-way player” in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. The senior from Stuarts Draft, VA was CU's starting – and finishing – pitcher, throwing a complete-game six-hitter, allowing just one unearned run, walking only one, and striking out 11.
At the plate, Cullen was 2-4 with an RBI.

The Yellow Jackets got runners and second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the 1st, but Cullen steadied himself, striking out Darby and Hawkins and getting Jobst to hit into an inning-ending groundout.

WV State starter David Myers retired Concord's first seven batters before faltering in the top of the 3rd.
Ian Humphrey doubled and Tyler Webb reached by an error on Hawkins at third. Randy Beard singled to drive in Humphrey, and Keith Morrisroe singled to load the bases. Huffer followed with a two-run single to put Concord ahead 3-0. Cullen and Devin Smith each added RBI singles to close the scoring.
Concord sent ten men to the plate in the 3rd, scoring five runs on seven hits.

The Mountain Lions got a two-run home run from Kyle Webb in the 5th, part of a 3-4 day. Schram added a two-run shot of his own in the 6th. Beard provided an RBI double in the 7th.

Among CU's other highlight performers were Humphrey (2-4, two doubles, RBI) and Huffer (2-4, two RBIs).

Cullen's only big mistake on the mound came in the bottom of the 6th, when Darby reached him for a solo homer.

The Mountain Lions outhit the Jackets, 15-6. 

SUNDAY, GAME ONE: West Virginia State 7, Concord 1

Yellow Jackets starting pitcher John Gale just missed a shutout. The junior gave up just one hit – a solo home run by Schram – on his way to facing just 23 batters, two over the minimum.

By contrast, CU starter Chastin Akers struggled, giving up five runs (all earned) on five hits with two walks in two and two-thirds innings.

Holstine and Dalton each had two hits for the Yellow Jackets.

SUNDAY, GAME TWO: West Virginia State 10, Concord 3

Concord's pitchers scuffled again. Huffer started, but was removed in the 3rd after giving up four runs and walking four. David Allen followed him, but gave up five runs on four hits, with four walks.

At the plate, Schram finished 2-3 with a home run, a double and an RBI. Huffer was 2-4.

For WVSU, Dalton went 3-4 with a double and three RBIs. 

Concord had been scheduled to play a non-conference game at Bluefield College (VA) on Monday, April 12th. But that contest had to be shelved to allow the Ramblin' Rams to re-schedule a conference doubleheader.

So the Mountain Lions will have to wait until Thursday, April 15th to play again. CU will host Fairmont State in a WVIAC doubleheader, starting at 1:00 pm EDT at Anderson Field.



(photos by Brandon Besl)

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