BATTLING TO A SPLIT

CU TAKES ONE OF TWO AT A-B

As often happens in the offensive-minded WVIAC, big rallies played a big role in the Concord Baseball team's doubleheader at Alderson-Broaddus Thursday afternoon.

The Mountain Lions couldn't quite overcome a Battler outburst in the first game, but struck early for a sizeable crooked number early in the second game, and split the twinbill in Philippi, WV. A-B won the first game, 6-5, while CU claimed the second, 7-4.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Six of the Battlers' first seven batters reached base to fuel five-run rally in the bottom of the 2nd, including RBI doubles from Justin Anderson and Mitch Roy. The key blow was a two-out, two-run double by Jeffrey Conley that capped the scoring.
Zach Cloxton Hit very close 235 x 243


Concord's running game got them on the board in the top of the 4th, with a double steal that scored Bret Blevins while Zach Cloxton swiped second.

The Mountain Lions squared the game in the 6th. Josh Wenger walked and Blevins singled to start the inning, and Randy Beard drove them both home with a double. Cloxton (right) singled to plate Beard, followed by a single by Ian Humphrey. Jacob Mays sacrificed to advance both runners, and Raphael Sanchez's groundout to shortstop brought in the tying run.

But A-B's first three batters reached base in the bottom of the 7th as they pushed across an unearned run to win the game.


GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

A-B opened the door for CU's first rally, in the top of the 1st, and the Mountain Lions kicked it down. Battlers' starting pitcher Kyle Oney hit Mays, the leadoff hitter, with a pitch, and a passed ball advanced Mays to second base.

Beard singled to drive in Mays, then promptly stole second. Josh Wenger drew a walk, and Blevins singled to score Beard. A fielder's choice off the bat of Kyle Webb left CU with Wenger at third and Webb at first, and the two pulled off a double-steal to make the score 3-0. One out later, Nick Sydnor's RBI single drove in Webb, and Concord was ahead 4-0.

Alderson-Broaddus got a run back in the bottom of the 1st. Conley doubled and scored on Michael Hackett's single to left.

Inside Pitch To Randy Beard 270 x 235
Concord replied by scoring twice in the top of the 3rd. Beard (left) singled and Wenger walked to start the inning; Blevins singled to score Beard, with Wenger advancing to third. Webb brought in Wenger with groundout to first base, and CU led 6-1.


The Battlers began to cut into their deficit in the bottom of the 5th, when CU starting pitcher William Zuspan hit a batter with the bases loaded.

Concord restored a four-run lead with a run in the top of the 6th, again getting help from A-B in the process. Humphrey reached on an error to lead off the inning, and relief pitcher David Ray Bryan hit Nate Watson with a pitch. One out later, Beard struck again, with an RBI single that pushed the Mountain Lions' lead to 7-2.

A run-scoring groundout and a CU error helped Alderson-Broaddus score twice in the bottom of the 6th to get them within 7-4. But Zuspan let them get no closer. The freshman right-hander went the distance, allowing three earned runs, walking none and striking out three.

Beard went 3-4 with two RBIs to pace the Concord offense. Blevins also drove in two in finishing 2-4.



Up next for Concord is an important WVIAC Southern Division series against Ohio Valley this weekend at Anderson Field.
WVIAC Logo 160 x 87

The top four teams from each division advance to next month's conference tournament, and the current standings show the Mountain Lions in 4th place and the Fighting Scots in 5th. The series is the teams' only meeting this season.

CU and OVU play a seven-inning doubleheader on Saturday, April 9, at 1:00 pm. The series concludes with a single nine-inning game on Sunday, April 10, at Noon. Admission is free.

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