BASEBALL: STARTING THE DRIVE

CU CONCLUDES WEEKEND WITH SWEEP AT OHIO VALLEY

With just three weeks left in the regular season, the time has come for the Concord baseball team to start a stretch drive.

The Mountain Lions went into this weekend's WVIAC South series at Ohio Valley outside the top four in the division standings, which would keep them out of next May's conference tournament.  Concord began the series with an 18-3 blowout on Friday afternoon, and moved to .500 in the conference by sweeping Saturday's seven-inning doubleheader against the Fighting Scots, 6-4 and 14-8, at Bennett-Stump Field in Parkersburg, WV.

GAME ONE
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

Tyler Zimm Pitch 2
Concord scratched out single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings to take a 3-0 lead.

In the 3rd, Randy Beard singled and Ian Humphrey drove him in with a double.  In the 4th, Keith Morrisroe drew a leadoff walk, went to third on Josh Wenger's single and scored on Ryan Johnston's sacrifice fly.
Beard started out the 5th inning rally with a single and a stolen base, advanced to third on Humphrey's sacrifice bunt and scored on Jerrod Grove's RBI single.

The Mountain Lions doubled their lead in the 6th, on Wenger's two-run home run and doubles from Johnston and Beard.

CU starting pitcher Tyler Zimm kept OVU shut down until the Fighting Scots scored twice in the bottom of the 6th.  In the 7th, after the first three batters reached base – including an RBI single from Marlon Bellmas – Zimm gave way to Will Zuspan.

Hugo Olivares made the score 6-4 with a run-scoring fielder's choice, but Zuspan struck out Donald Hilverding and got Tyler Proctor to fly out to end the game and nail down the save.

Zimm scattered seven hits over six innings – striking out 11 without a walk – to get the win. 

Beard went 3-3 with two runs scored to lead the CU lineup.  Wenger finished 2-4.


GAME TWO
BOXSCORE / PLAY-BY-PLAY

T.J. Brockway AB
Ohio Valley reached CU starter Devin Smith for single runs in each of the first three innings, but Concord countered with a seven-run 2nd and three more runs in the 3rd.

The Mountain Lions sent 13 hitters to the plate in the 2nd, banging out seven and taking advantage of a pair of OVU miscues.  Humphrey, Morrisroe and Wenger clouted RBI doubles, Groves added a run-scoring single, and CU scored on a passed ball and an error.

In the 3rd, a walk to Brockway and a Morrisroe single set the table for Blevins, whose three-run home run gave CU a 10-2 lead.

The Mountain Lions went up 11-3 in the 5th, on Blevins' double and Johnston's RBI single.  Ohio Valley scored twice in the bottom of the inning, but Concord struck again in the top of the 6th.

With one out, Humphrey doubled and Groves singled, and Brockway singled to make the score 12-5.  An RBI double from Morrisroe and a run-scoring groundout from Blevins pushed the lead to 14-5.

Ohio Valley closed out the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the 7th.

Concord worked over OVU pitching for 18 hits.  Morrisroe went 4-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored.  Blevins finished 3-5 with a homer, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored.  Groves was 3-4 with two runs scored, Johnston went 3-5, Humphrey was 2-4 and Brockway scored three times.

On the mound, Smith allowed seven hits over five innings to get the win.  OVU starter Ryan Highman took the loss, giving up seven runs on eight hits in an inning-and-a-third.


Up next for Concord (15-24, 11-11) is a rare week off, before an important WVIAC South Division series at the University of Charleston.  The Mountain Lions and Golden Eagles ended this weekend 3rd and 4th in the division, separated by a mere 2.88 power rating points.

CU and UC will play a seven-inning doubleheader on Saturday, April 14 and a single nine-inning game on Sunday, April 15.  First pitch both days is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Triana Field in Charleston, WV.





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