Box Score
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – A four-run fifth inning proved too much to overcome as the Concord University baseball team dropped an 8-4 decision to fourth-ranked Mount Olive Monday afternoon at Scarborough Field in Mount Olive, N.C.
Concord (1-2) was led by junior second baseman
Jerrod Groves, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double. Groves exits CU's first series of the season hitting .600 (6-for-10) with five runs scored and two doubles. Junior third baseman
T.J. Brockway recorded Concord's second multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with one RBI. Brockway and Groves have both hit safely in all three of CU's games this season.
Freshman
Andrew Seigel, senior first baseman
Joey Miller and sophomore designated hitter
Joe Camp all tallied hits as well. Miller and senior outfielder
Bret Blevins also produced one RBI apiece in the loss.
Sophomore pitcher
Chris Kelly (0-1) went 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits in his fifth collegiate start. Senior relief pitcher
Dustin Nuckels closed out the game for the Mountain Lions by giving up just two hits and one run over 3.2 innings of work.
Concord once again got off to a quick start Monday with a three-run first inning that was sparked by the duo of Seigel and Groves. The pair led off the game with a bunt single and double, respectively, to put runners on second and third for Blevins, who promptly drove in the day's first run on a sacrifice fly.
After Groves advanced to third on a UMO fielding error, Miller proceeded to pick up his third RBI of the season with another sacrifice fly that scored Groves. CU made it a 3-0 contest later in the frame off of Brockway's run-scoring single that plated junior outfielder
Ryan Johnston.
Mount Olive responded with a three-run inning of its own in the bottom of the first. The game remained tied at 3-3 over the following three and a half innings until the Trojans broke the contest open with four runs in the fifth to pull ahead 7-3.
The Mountain Lions added one run in the eighth when Groves, who reached base with a single to lead off the inning, scored on a Mount Olive error. However, Concord couldn't produce any more runs and the Trojans went on to add another run in the bottom of the eighth to secure the four-run victory.
Mount Olive was led by Justin Manning who drove in three runs. Gunner Kines (2-1) picked up the win after holding Concord to three runs and four hits in seven innings pitched.
The win gave Mount Olive (6-3) the 2-1 series victory over Concord.
Concord will look to return to its winning ways when it hosts Pitt-Johnstown noon Saturday at Anderson Field for game one of a doubleheader in what will be Concord's home-opener.
