One of the cold realities about sports is that sometimes, there is no tomorrow.
On a cold, gray, rainy day at Point Stadium in Johnstown, PA, the Concord Baseball team ran out of tomorrows.
The Mountain Lions' 8-6 loss to Pitt-Johnstown Saturday afternoon -- on the third day of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament --brought their season to an end, short of their goal of reaching the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year.
It was also the final game for head coach Kevin Garrett, who's stepping down to focus on his duties as CU's Director of Athletics after 15 successful years at the helm of the baseball program.
Pitt-Johnstown scored three times in the bottom of the 2nd – on an RBI single by Justin Demek and a two-run single from Seth Roy – to take a 3-0 lead against CU starter Chastin Akers.
The Mountain Cats tallied again in the 3rd on an RBI double by Matt Staub.
Concord mustered just two hits in the first four innings against UPJ starter Matt Whiteman before breaking through in the top of the 5th. Randy Beard drew a one-out walk and went to third on Keith Morrisroe's single to right. Donovan Huffer brought in Beard with a sacrifice fly to deep center to put CU on the board.
Up next was WVIAC Triple Crown winner and Player of the Year Greyson Schram (right), who launched a mammoth two-home run to left center. Schram's shot hit near the top of an 80-foot high light standard and traveled an estimated 460 feet, and it brought Concord within 4-3.
The Mountain Lions squared the game in the 6th. Devin Smith walked to lead off the inning and went to second on Kyle Webb's sacrifice. Ian Humphrey reached on an error by CF Drew Shaulis, moving Smith to third. Tyler Webb brought in Smith with a fielder's choice grounder.
But UPJ would reclaim the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Akers walked Demek to start the frame, and Shaulis sacrificed him to second. Akers struck out Jason Campbell, but then yielded an RBI to Roy.
The Mountain Cats stretched their lead to 7-5 in the 7th, on a two-out, two-run home run by Drew Westover.
Concord answered in the top of the 8th. UPJ reliever Mike McDermott walked Schram to start the inning; Brooks Cullen followed with a bloop single to right. Devin Smith lined to left for the first out, but McDermott walked Kyle Webb to load the bases.
Humphrey (right) singled to right to drive in Schram and Cullen and pull Concord within 7-6, and McDermott walked Tyler Webb to reload the bases with just one out.
UPJ removed McDermott, their closer, in favor of sophomore Alex Naggy, who struck out Beard and got Morrisroe to ground out to second the end the CU threat.
Andy Rubal gave the Mountain Cats tacked an insurance run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 8th.
Huffer led off the Concord 9th with an infield single, but Naggy struck on Schram and induced Cullen to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, and the Mountain Lions' season.
BOXSCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY: http://www.wviac.org/custompages/baseball/10tournament/wviac108.htm
The Mountain Lions finished the season 29-9, including a perfect 18-0 at home.
Saturday was the final game for seven seniors: Brooks Cullen, Donovan Huffer, Greyson Schram, James Stehlin, Julio Stehlin, Trey Smith and Tyler Webb.
An announcement naming Garrett's successor as head coach is expected in the near future.
