UNHAPPY ENDING

MOUNTAIN LIONS LET SLIP LATE LEAD IN LOSS AT WESLEYAN

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At least it didn't lack for entertainment value.

In a possible WVIAC Tournament preview, the Concord couldn't hang on to a late lead and lost at West Virginia Wesleyan 12-11 on Thursday afternoon.

It's the second loss in three games for Concord (23-7). By contrast, it was the Bobcats' 14th consecutive victory.

The Mountain Lions scored once in the top of the 9th to go up 11-10, but WVWC's Cory Flickinger delivered a bases-loaded two-run double in the bottom of the 9th for the dramatic win.

Concord has clinched a spot out of the WVIAC Southern Division in next month's conference tournament, and West Virginia Wesleyan (24-10) has the inside track on one of the two spots in the Central. The Bobcats haven't lost since a 10-8 defeat at Central-leading Alderson-Broaddus on April 3rd. 

at Hank Ellis Field	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Concord	2	2	0	2	2	2	0	0	1		11	19	0	13
West Virginia Wesleyan	2	0	4	2	0	0	0	2	2		12	19	2	10

The scoring came early and often.

Concord busted out for two quick runs in the top of the 1st. Hot-hitting Keith Morrisroe (left) led off with a triple, and promptly scored on Donovan Huffer's single. Another hot hitter, Greyson Schram, followed with another single.
Brooks Cullen sacrificed the runners along, and, one out later, Blake Klaiber singled to bring in Huffer.

The Bobcats got both runs back in the bottom of the 1st. CU starter Drew Bailey walked Flickinger, then allowed consecutive singles to Gary Williams Matt Coker. Later in the inning, Ryan Lewicki drove in the tying run with a groundout.

The Mountain Lions counterpunched with another two runs in the top of the 2nd. With two outs Morrisroe singled and advanced to second on an error by RF Kyle Allard. Huffer reached on another error, this by SS Robert Stephens. That set the stage for Schram (right), who crushed a two-run double to put CU up 4-2.

The lead held only until the bottom the 3rd. The Bobcats loaded the bases with two outs, and Allard atoned for his defensive miscue with a bases-clearing double. Mark Darlington followed with a double of his own, and WVWC had a 6-4 lead.

The Mountain Lions wasted little time tying the game. WVWC pitcher Nathan Gainer hit Huffer with a pitch to lead off the top of the 4th, and Schram hit another double. Cullen singled to drive in Huffer, and Brandon Proctor (left) stroked a key two-out single to score Schram and square matters at 6-6. 


Wesleyan grabbed back the momentum in the bottom of the 4th. CU starter Drew Bailey loaded the bases with nobody out, but looked to have minimized the potential damage when he got Coker to ground into a run-scoring double play. But Bailey balked while facing the next batter to give WVWC an 8-6 lead.

Concord scored twice in the 5th to tie the game and twice again in the 6th to take the lead.

With one out in the 5th, Tyler Webb singled and Morrisroe tripled, followed by a sacrifice fly from Huffer (right), making the score 8-8. 



Cullen led off the 6th with a double. One out later, Bobcats P David Langley hit Proctor with a pitch, and Klaiber drove in Cullen with a single. Ian Humphrey followed with another single, scoring Proctor, and CU led 10-8.

Bailey, meanwhile, had settled down and kept Wesleyan off the board in the last three innings of his seven-inning start. But the Concord bullpen faltered. In the bottom of the 8th, Chastin Akers walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a two-run home run to Flickinger to tie the game 10-10.

Concord reclaimed the lead in the top of the 9th. Huffer singled with one out, and Cullen and Kyle Webb each singled with two outs, putting CU ahead 11-10.

But Kyle Webb, sent in as Concord's closer in the bottom of the 9th, ran into immediate trouble. Darlington, Adam Lewton and Stephens started the inning with consecutive singles, setting the stage for Flickinger. The junior center fielder came through again, reaching Webb for the game-winning double.

Seven Concord players finished with at least two hits. Cullen went 3-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Morrisroe was 3-6 with a pair of triples, three runs and an RBI. Schram was also 3-6, with two doubles, a run and two RBIs.
Huffer scored four runs while going 2-4 with two runs batted in.
Proctor and Kyle Webb each finished 2-5, with the latter driving in a run and the former scoring once and driving in two more. Humphrey was also 2-5, with an RBI.

Flickinger topped the Bobcats by going 4-5 with a home run, a double, three runs and four RBIs. 

The Mountain Lions return home for a three-game weekend series with Salem International. The Mountain Lions and Tigers are scheduled to play a 7-inning WVIAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 24th, at 1:00 pm, then will close out the series with a single nine-inning game Sunday the 25th, also at 1:00 pm. Admission is free at Anderson Field.

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