AN EDUCATED RISK

ZUSPAN, 12-HIT ATTACK KEEP CU'S SEASON ALIVE

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Concord Baseball coach Andrew Wright knew he was taking a bit of a risk when he called on William Zuspan (left) to be his starting pitcher Saturday, as the Mountain Lions faced elimination in the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament.

The freshman right hander had appeared in 16 games this season, but only three as a starter.  Plus, giving him the start on Saturday would break up the routine established in the CU rotation.

But, Zuspan had already proven himself in the post-season, winning two games and saving another in Concord's four-victory run to the WVIAC championship last weekend.


So Wright made the move.

It worked.

Zuspan worked into the 8th inning on Saturday, helping Concord to an 11-3 victory over Winston-Salem State (NC) at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA.

The victory keeps the Mountain Lions' season alive and sends them to a matchup against either East Stroudsburg University (PA) in another elimination game Sunday afternoon at 3:30.  ESU fell to Mercyhurst College (PA), 4-1, on Saturday evening.

Zuspan threw more than 130 pitches and allowed 11 hits and five walks over 7 1/3 innings. But he gave up just three runs while striking out six and put his team in a position to win.

A position the Concord offense would utilize.

CU had scored 44 runs on 62 hits in their run to the conference title last weekend, but scored just once on seven hits in their regional-opening loss to host Millersville University (PA) on Friday afternoon.
Against WSSU, the Mountain Lions roared back to life with 12 hits, and reached double figures in the run column for the fifth time in six games.

CU scored the game's first run in the bottom of the 1st inning. With one out, Keith Morrisroe walked, and moved to third on Jacob Mays' two-strike hit-and-run single. Josh Wenger drove in Morrisroe with a groundout.

The Rams tied the game on Andrew Smith's RBI single in the 3rd, but the score did not stay level for long.

The Mountain Lions mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning, getting consecutive singles by Morrisroe, Mays (on another hit-and-run), Wenger (to drive in Morrisroe) and Nick Sydnor (to drive in Mays).
Bret Blevins capped the rally with a two-run double that gave CU a 5-1 lead and ultimately knocked out Rams starting pitcher Tyler Hickernell.

Concord got right back to it in the 4th. WSSU reliever Joseph Herbert walked Ian Humphrey and Zach Cloxton on a total of ten pitches to start the inning; Randy Beard put down a bunt to Herbert, whose throw to first wound up in the right field bullpen. The two-base error brought in Humphrey and put runners at second and third.

Morrisroe blooped a double just inside the line in right field that scored Cloxton and Beard and chased Herbert after only four batters.

John Markey came in, and Mays greeted him with an RBI double into the left field corner. Concord led 9-1.

Winston-Salem State would scratch out a run in the 5th, on German Reyes' RBI single. The Rams started the 8th with three straight singles – capped by Dominique Fitzgerald's RBI to left – to finally drive Zuspan out of the game. But Dustin Nuckels came in to record the final two outs and keep the score at 9-3.

The Mountain Lions (27-25) added two more runs in the bottom of the 8th. Kyle Webb singled and moved to second on Humphrey's sacrifice bunt. Cloxton struck out, but Markey then hit Beard with a pitch and walked Morrisroe to load the bases. That set the table for Mays, who stroked a two-run single to right.

Concord went 0-7 with runners in scoring position in Friday's loss to Millersville, but bounced back to hit 6-10 in the RISP category on Saturday.

Winston-Salem State, by contrast, was 4-18 with runners in scoring position against the Mountain Lions. The Rams wound up stranding 14 runners on base, 10 in scoring position, as their season ended at 30-25.

Mays went 4-5 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Concord offense. Sydnor was 2-4, while Morrisroe finished 2-3 with a double, three runs scored, two walks and two RBIs. Eight CU players scored at least one run.


BOXSCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY


Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 102.3 The Ticket (WMTD, Hinton/Princeton/Beckley) starting with the “Mountain Lions Preview Show” at 3:15 pm EDT.
The Ticket will provide free streaming audio HERE.
Millersville University will post Live Stats of the game HERE.

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