SLIDE ENDS IN SPLIT

CU TAKES ONE OF TWO AT UPJ

Concord's Baseball team snapped its four-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 8-7 win at Pitt-Johnstown in the first game of a WVIAC doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.
The host Mountain Cats rebounded to win the second game, 5-0, at Point Stadium in Johnstown, PA.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kyle Webb AB vs WVWC 261 x 235
The Mountain Lions broke out quickly for three runs in the top of the 1st. Randy Beard and Keith Morrisroe singled to begin the inning; one out later, Nick Sydnor doubled to the “Mesh Monster” in left field, scoring Beard.
Kyle Webb (left) followed with a two-run single up the middle. After that, Josh Wenger singled, but UPJ pitcher John Fees got Bret Blevins to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Pitt-Johnstown reached CU pitcher Jacob Mays for five runs in the bottom of the 1st, highlighted by Zach Martin's two-run double.
Mays walked the first two UPJ hitters in the 2nd, and the Mountain Cats scored twice more to open a 7-3 lead. Dustin Nuckels came on in relief for CU.

Concord got within 7-4 in the 3rd – with two outs, Sydnor doubled to left, and scored on Webb's RBI single.

The Mountain Lions got some help to score twice in the 5th. Beard led off and reached on a two-base error by 3B Josh Campanella, and Morrisroe walked. One out later, Sydnor doubled to right to score Beard, and Webb brought in Morrisroe with a groundout.

Concord got more help to reclaim the lead with two more runs in the 6th. Blevins greeted UPJ reliever Paul Tunink with a triple to right center; Clay Riggleman brought in Blevins with a fielder's choice grounder. Ian Humphrey sacrificed Riggleman to second.
Tunink walked Beard and hit Morrisroe with a pitch to load the bases, but induced Mays to hit a grounder that resulted in Riggleman being forced out at home for the second out.
But UPJ stumbled again -- a passed ball brought in Beard and put CU ahead 8-7.

The Mountain Lions missed a chance to add another run in the 7th. Wenger doubled with one out and moved to third on Blevins' groundout. But Tunink struck out pinch hitter Raphael Sanchez to keep it a one-run game and set up an exciting bottom of the inning.

Dustin Nuckels Pitch vs SHU 235 x 261
With one out, Kyle Morrow doubled, putting the tying run in scoring position. Concord head coach Andrew Wright then rolled the dice, removing Nuckels for Ryan Weatherholtz – the Mountain Lions' number-one starting pitcher.
The gamble paid off. Weatherholtz got pinch hitter Zach Vignero to line out to Blevins, the second baseman, who threw to Morrisroe, the shortstop, to double off pinch runner Scott Zubik to end the game.

Webb paced the Concord lineup by going 2-4 with four RBIs. Sydnor was 3-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Beard and Morrisroe – the 1-2 hitters in the order – combined to reach base six times and score five runs.

Nuckels (right) got the win – the first of his collegiate career – by allowing just three hits in 4 2/3 ininngs of shutout relief. Weatherholtz notched his first college save.


GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

UPJ starter Alex Naggy found himself in an early jam, through no fault of his own. With two outs in the top of the 1st, Mays struck out but reached first base on a passed ball. He then stole second.

Sydnor, the next man up, likewise struck out but reached base on a passed ball, with Mays moving to third. Sydnor stole second, putting two runners in scoring position, but Naggy got Wenger to roll into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

That proved to be Concord's best chance to score. Naggy would allow only two hits – singles by Blevins and Morrisroe – in earning the complete game victory. CU put just five runners on base, and Naggy faced the minimum number of batters over his final five innings.

UPJ reached CU starter Will Zuspan for five runs in the bottom of the 2nd, featuring two-run singles from Nate Sabados and Seth Roy.

Although the Mountain Cats would muster only two more hits from the 3rd inning on, that rally would provide all the runs they'd need.


Up next for Concord is an important WVIAC Southern Division series at Davis & Elkins on Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23.
The Mountain Lions and Senators will play a seven-inning doubleheader on Friday and a single nine-inning game on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm both days.




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