BASEBALL: SURGE CONTINUES

CU SWEEPS BLUEFIELD STATE FOR EIGHTH WIN IN NINE GAMES

• Share:

Concord's baseball team continued its late-season surge by sweeping a WVIAC South Division seven-inning doubleheader against Bluefield State, 4-3 and 3-1, Saturday afternoon at Anderson Field.

The Mountain Lions have won eight of their last nine games and are one win shy of 20 conference victories this season.

Timely hitting and the pitching combination of Devin Smith and Will Zuspan lifted CU in the first game, while staff ace Ryan Weatherholtz took a shutout into the 7th inning of the nightcap.

The sweep also highlighted Senior Day, as the CU program honored Joel Gattoni, Ian Humphrey and captain Keith Morrisroe in a pre-game ceremony.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Smith got into and out of trouble almost immediately.  With two outs in the top of the 1st, three straight Bluefield State batters reached base, but Smith struck out Eddie Smith to end the threat.

Devin Smith and Big Blues starter Travis Thompson traded zeroes until the Mountain Lions broke through in the bottom of the 4th.  Bret Blevins singled, stole second, and moved to third on Josh Wenger's one-out groundout.

Zach Cloxton coaxed a walk off Thompson, keeping the inning alive and putting runners at the corners.  CU head coach Andrew Wright called for a double steal, and the move paid immediate dividends when Cloxton swiped second and, more importantly, Blevins beat the throw back to the plate for the game's first run.

The gamble also left CU with another runner in scoring position, setting up Gattoni's clutch RBI single to right (above left) that brought in Cloxton for a 2-0 lead.

Bluefield State moved ahead with three runs in the top of the 5th, highlighted by Jon Neuberger's two-run double.  But the Big Blues didn't stay ahead for long.

Randy Beard tripled to lead off the bottom of the 5th, and came in with the tying run on Morrisroe's one-out sacrifice fly. 

Thompson hit Blevins to extend the inning, and the Mountain Lions benefitted from the opportunity.  Ryan Johnston singled to put runners at the corners, and Wenger put CU ahead to stay with an RBI single to right.

BSC threatened to level the score in the top of the 6th, putting runners at second and third with two outs.  But, just like in the 1st inning, Smith (right) got out of the jam with a strikeout, fanning Robert Haggerty to slam the door shut.

Zuspan came on in relief in the 7th and retired the Big Blues in order to nail down his fifth save of the season.

Smith scattered nine hits in his six innings, walking just one and striking out five in raising his record 5-3.  On offense, Concord got six hits from six different players.  Neuberger had three hits to lead Bluefield State, and Thompson allowed six hits in absorbing a complete-game loss.

GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

The Big Blues threatened to take the game's first lead in the top of the 2nd, when Brady Guimond and Rusty Rainey started the inning with back-to-back singles.  But Weatherholtz got Eddie Smith to pop out, and a batter's interference call on Jordan Draeger nullified an attempted double steal for the second out.  Weatherholtz struck out Jamal Allen to end the threat. 

The singles would be the only hits Weatherholtz (on cover) would allow until the final inning.

Concord moved in front with a run in the bottom of the 3rd.  Gattoni reached on a throwing on Guimond, BSC's third baseman, and moved into scoring position with his first stolen base of the season.  Humphrey sacrificed Gattoni to third, and Groves drove him in with a triple to the wall in left center.

The Mountain Lions tacked on their final two runs in the 4th.   Johnston doubled down the left field line, and Wenger (left) followed with a no-doubt two-run home run over the left field wall – his seventh homer of the year.

Bluefield State (12-29, 8-19) spoiled Weatherholtz's shutout bid in the top of the 7th.  Rainey and Eddie Smith singled to start the inning, and although Weatherholtz induced Draeger to hit into a double play, Thompson delivered a pinch-hit RBI single that put the Big Blues on the board.  But Weatherholtz got Sean Williams to roll into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Weatherholtz allowed just five hits in the complete game victory, recording 11 groundball outs.  Johnston paced the Concord offense with two hits.


Up next for Concord (23-26, 19-15) is its regular season finale – the third game of the series against Bluefield State, set for tomorrow at 12:00 pm at Anderson Field.  Admission is free.

NOTE:  Sunday's start time is one hour earlier than originally scheduled.

(photos by Jennifer Logan)

Print Friendly Version