Concord Splits West Virginia State Doubleheader

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team split a pair of Mountain East Conference games with league rival West Virginia State Tuesday afternoon at Cal Bailey Field.

Concord (10-9, 9-7 MEC) won the first game 3-2 in its in final at-bat before falling 8-7 after a furious seventh-inning rally came up short in the nightcap.

Game 1: Concord 3 – West Virginia State 2
Freshman outfielder Andy Szamski's RBI single that scored junior outfielder Andrew Seigel with two outs in the seventh inning proved to be the game's decisive run.

After West Virginia State scored a run in the second, CU starter sophomore Nate Werner only allowed three baserunners past first until the sixth inning when the Yellow Jackets were able to knot the game at 2-2.

The first two Mountain Lion runs came on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly from redshirt freshman infielder Chad Frazier and a fifth-inning RBI groundout by senior outfielder T.J. Brockway to give CU a 2-1 lead.

The run-scoring base hit by WVSU in the sixth chased Werner from the game, however, it set the stage for Szamski's heroics in the seventh.

Redshirt freshman Damon Frazier picked up the win as he relieved Werner and recorded six outs without giving up the tying run to West Virginia State. In fact, D. Frazier stranded the game's tying run on second base to end the contest.

Seigel and Szamski each had two hits while junior infielder Holt Cassada scored two of the three CU runs.

Game 2: West Virginia State 8 – Concord 7
Seven runs in the first three innings by WVSU proved costly for Concord as its late rally fell one run short of forcing West Virginia State to bat in the seventh.

The Yellow Jackets were able to score one run in the first and then three each in the second and third to take a commanding  7-0 lead. Sophomore pitcher / outfielder Eli Flynn and redshirt freshman pitcher Joey Lacek were able to hold the Yellow Jackets' offense at bay over the final 3.2 innings of the contest, giving up just one run.

Down 8-1 heading into its final at-bat, CU scored six runs in the frame, but stranded the game's tying run at first base to give West Virginia State an 8-7 victory.

In the seventh, West Virginia State got two quick outs before the CU rally began.

Senior outfielder Jerrod Groves' double brought in senior first baseman Ryan Johnston and junior infielder Forest Lewis while Szamski's  scored Groves and Seigel to bring CU to within 8-6.

Szamski came across to score on a WVSU error to make it 8-7. However, West Virginia State recorded the last out of the game to strand pinch-runner sophomore outfielder Steven Schiffour.

Freshman pitcher Reece Edwards (1-1) was charged with the loss.

Groves and Seigel each had two RBI while junior catcher Charlie Goss and Seigel had two hits each.

Concord will start a four-game series Saturday at Glenville State.