Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
ATHENS, W. Va. – The Concord University softball team started its final week of the regular season on a down note Tuesday, dropping a pair of games to West Virginia State at the CU Softball Field, 7-1 and 6-2.
The highlight of the day for Concord (18-27, 6-14 WVIAC) was freshman
Alyssa Morris' ninth home run of the season in game one, which tied former Mountain Lion Ashley Jackson's nine-home run year in 2006 for the most homers in a single-season by a Concord player.
Other top contributors for the Mountain Lions included sophomore
Jessica Seymour, who had three hits and a stolen base in game two, as well as senior
Becca Gleason, who was the only CU player to record hits in both games.
Game One: West Virginia State 7 – Concord 1
West Virginia State (28-11, 13-5 WVIAC) got off to a hot start with five runs in the first inning, including four off of a grand slam by Ashley Weyant, while also adding another run in the second to take a 6-0 lead.
But sophomore pitcher
Lacey McDougall (9-13) settled down after the rough start to hold the Yellow Jackets hitless over the next three innings. However, the Concord offense was unable to find its rhythm and did not record its first hit of the day off of pitcher Kelsey Lorraine until Gleason dropped a single into left field in the fourth inning.
The Yellow Jackets added an additional run in the sixth inning before Morris helped Concord avoid the shutout with her historic home run that sailed over the left field fence in the seventh inning.
In addition to her 1-for-3 game at the plate, Gleason also stole her 13th base of the season. Sophomore
Brantlea Wood registered Concord's third hit in the opener, a single to center field to lead off the sixth inning.
Game Two: West Virginia State 6 – Concord 2
Concord junior pitcher
Rachael Mack and West Virginia State's Anna Eggleston matched one another with four shutout innings each to begin game two. Mack did not surrender a hit until the fourth inning while Eggleston produced four of her eight strikeouts in the game.
Weyant struck again for the Yellow Jackets with her second home run of the day to break the 0-0 tie with one out in the fifth inning. Two Concord fielding errors led to four more runs for West Virginia State in the sixth inning to break the game open at 5-0.
The Mountain Lions answered back in the bottom of the sixth when senior
Stephanie Harper cracked a double to drive in Seymour from second base and make it a 5-1 game. However, the Yellow Jackets got the run back in the top of the seventh to push their lead to 6-1.
Sophomores
Whitney Carrigan and
Hayley Wade started a two-out rally for CU in the bottom of the seventh after Carrigan was hit by a pitch and Wade forced a walk. Gleason then loaded the bases with a single up the middle.
Seymour proceeded to drive a single to center field that scored Carrigan, but the Yellow Jackets were able to end any thoughts of comeback when Wade was tagged out at home plate attempting to score from second base to end the game.
Seymour's three-hit game was her 12th multi-hit game of the year. She also stole her 13th base of the season in game two to move into a tie with Gleason for the team lead. Freshman
Kristi Benvenuto tallied her third hit in four games with a single in the fifth inning.
Mack (5-11) pitched all seven innings, striking out one batter. Just two of West Virginia State's six runs were earned.
Concord continues its 12-game homestand 3:00 p.m. Wednesday vs. Charleston.
