Concord Splits Doubleheader Versus WJU

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball split the final two games of a four-game series with Wheeling Jesuit Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field in Mountain East Conference action.

Concord (23-11, 19-9 MEC) prevailed in game one, 3-2, before falling in the nightcap, 8-2.

Game 1: Concord 3 – Wheeling Jesuit 2
A sacrifice fly by freshman outfielder Andy Szamski combined with a throwing error by Wheeling Jesuit (9-18, 8-14 MEC) right fielder Dillon Sunnafrank gave the Mountain Lions a 3-1 cushion in the fifth that they would not surrender.

Junior infielder Holt Cassada got Concord on the board first with an RBI single in the second inning. WJU would fight back in the top of the fifth to square the game at 1-1.

However with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, Szamski lifted a fly ball to right field to bring redshirt freshman infielder Chad Frazier home on the sacrifice. To further add to the damage, Sunnafrank's throw home was off line and sailed into CU's third base dugout allowing senior outfielder Jerrod Groves to also score.

Wheeling Jesuit scored one run in the top of the sixth, but redshirt freshman third baseman / pitcher Damon Frazier came on in relief of sophomore pitcher Zach Kelly, who went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out two.

When Frazier entered the game, he immediately induced a pop up to first base and then uncorked a wild pitch, but redshirt freshman catcher Paul Williams tossed the ball to D. Frazier, who was covering home with Sunnafrank racing to score. D. Frazier tagged out Sunnafrank to end the scoring threat in the sixth.

D. Frazier pitched a perfect seventh to pick up his fifth save of the year while Kelly notched his fifth win.

Cassada (two) and Williams (two) combined for the four Concord hits.

Game 2: Wheeling Jesuit 8 – Concord 2
Four errors in the field hurt the Mountain Lions' chances as only two of the eight runs scored by Wheeling Jesuit were earned.

Wheeling Jesuit scored in five of the seven innings as senior pitcher Barinder Rakkar (2-4) was charged with the loss after going two innings. Of the four runs Rakkar surrendered, just one of them was earned.

Cassada and Szamski each had an RBI for the Mountain Lions with Cassada's coming on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly and Szamski driving in junior outfielder Andrew Seigel in the third inning.

Concord will host West Virginia State Wednesday at Anderson Field.