Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Coach Wright Postgame Interview
ATHENS, W. Va. – The Concord University baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games and completed a four-game sweep of Notre Dame College by taking a pair of games from the Falcons, 8-2 and 7-0, at Anderson Field Sunday afternoon in Mountain East Conference play.
Concord improves its record to 11-3 overall and 8-0 in MEC. The Mountain Lions are six games ahead of their pace from last year's CU team which started the year 5-9 before eventually setting a school-record for wins in a season (36). Concord's win in game two was the 100th victory in head coach
Andrew Wright's career. Notre Dame drops to 5-6 overall and 3-4 in league play.
As has been the case throughout their winning streak, the Mountain Lions received quality performances from their pitchers Sunday. Sophomore
Chris Kelly began the day by scattering six hits and two runs over six innings while striking out a career-high six strikeouts to improve to 2-1 on the season. Freshman
Zach Kelly followed that performance up by throwing five scoreless innings in game two's shutout victory.
The Mountain Lions' bullpen closed out both games in nearly flawless fashion. Senior
Dustin Nuckels tossed a scoreless seventh inning in game one while fellow seniors
Tim Leather and
Chris Baker capped off the day with back-to-back shutout innings in the sixth and seventh of game two.
Concord's offense was led throughout the afternoon by sophomore designated hitter
Joe Camp and senior first baseman
Joey Miller. Camp recorded a pair of two-hit games, finishing the day 4-for-6 with one run, two RBI and two doubles while Miller was 3-for-7, scoring two runs, four RBI and his team-leading third home run of the season.
Game One: Concord 8 – Notre Dame 2 (Box Score)
The Mountain Lions once again got off to a hot start with a five-run first inning to pave the way to their 8-2 victory in Sunday's opener.
With sophomore outfielder
Andrew Seigel on first base, junior second baseman
Jerrod Groves started the scoring on a double to centerfield that Seigel would easily score on. Groves then made it a 2-0 game by coming home when senior outfielder
Bret Blevins shot a run-scoring single to right field.
After an error that allowed Miller to reach first base and Blevins to score, Camp put CU ahead 4-0 with an RBI-single up the middle to bring in Miller. The Mountain Lions' final run of the frame came off of an RBI from senior outfielder
T.J. Brockway.
Notre Dame got a run back in the top of the third inning, however Concord quickly ended any thoughts of an NDC comeback by answering back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to push its lead to 8-1 thanks to a two-run single by sophomore shortstop
Brad Sullivan as well as an RBI-groundout by senior catcher
Brandon Costa.
The Falcons added one run in sixth inning, but Nuckels came on in relief of C. Kelly in the seventh and forced three ground ball outs to end the game and secure the 8-2 victory.
Seven of Concord's nine starters registered at least one hit in the opener including Camp's 2-for-3, one-run, one-RBI effort. Blevins became Concord's career stolen base leader in the first inning with the 62nd stolen base of his career.
Game Two: Concord 7 – Notre Dame 0 (Box Score)
Game two was never in doubt as the Mountain Lions poured in three runs in the first inning on the way to a 7-0 shutout-win to complete the four-game series sweep of the Falcons and keep its unbeaten streak alive.
Z. Kelly worked out of a bases loaded jam to keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard in the top of the first inning leading to the Mountain Lions quickly jumping out to a 2-0 via Miller's towering two-out two-run home run that plated Blevins, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.
Junior third baseman
Ryan Johnston followed Miller's long ball by hitting a single and stealing a base before eventually scoring off of a Notre Dame fielding error to give Concord a 3-0 lead through one inning of play.
Camp and Miller tallied respective RBI-doubles in the third and fifth inning before Concord finished off its offensive production in the sixth with a single by Blevins which scored sophomore catcher Charlie Goss and a sacrifice fly by Miller that scored Seigel.
After completing five innings of three-strikeout baseball, Z. Kelly gave way to Leather and Baker for scoreless sixth and seventh innings, including a pair of strikeouts by Baker to end the contest in the seventh inning. Kelly increased his record to 2-0 on the year.
Miller finished out the weekend by going 2-for-3 with four RBI, a double and a home run in the fourth game of the series. Groves, Blevins and Camp all had two hits and a double as well.
Concord exits the series having outscored its opponents 28-10 in the first inning of games this season.
The Mountain Lions will set out for their first conference road games of the season with a four-game series March 15-16 at Shepherd.
