Concord Prepares to Host West Liberty, Wheeling Jesuit

Concord Statistics - West Liberty Statistics - Wheeling Jesuit Statistics - Live Video - Live Stats (West Liberty Game 1) - Live Stats (West Liberty Game 2) - Live Stats (Wheeling Jesuit Game 1) -  Live Stats (Wheeling Jesuit Game 2)

ATHENS, W.Va- The Concord University softball team will welcome two institutions from the Northern Panhandle this weekend as they host West Liberty on Saturday before taking on Wheeling Jesuit on Sunday.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics and live video of the doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. To access the live options, follow the links at the top of the page or click here.

Records
Concord will head into the matchup riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping West Virginia State in consecutive series and taking game two from Charleston on March 25.  The winning streak now has the Mountain Lions at 18-12 on the year, and 7-5 in Mountain East Conference play.  The winning streak has vaulted CU into a tie for third in the MEC South Division standings. 

West Liberty is 8-26 overall, with a 1-11 mark in MEC play. 

Wheeling Jesuit is currently second in the MEC North Division. The Cardinals are 18-10 overall, and are off to a 6-2 start in conference play. 

Mountain Lion Notes
Freshman pitcher Abby Beatty has compiled a perfect 5-0 start in her first year at Concord.

Throughout her five starts, Beatty has thrown two complete games and has limited the opposition to a .212 batting average.

In her last two starts, Beatty allowed just one run over a 13-inning span.

Junior pitcher Sarah Herndon has won her last two starts in the circle for the Mountain Lions, and has amassed 46 strikeouts so far this season. 

Herndon is coming off one of her best games of the season in game one against the Yellow Jackets in Institute, as she posted a complete game shutout against WVSU. 

Herndon allowed just five hits and forced 14 groundouts to help stave off the Yellow Jacket's chances of getting back in the game. 

Herndon also worked her way out of trouble in that game, forcing two key outs after West Virginia State threatened with runners on base in the bottom of the sixth and the seventh inning. 

Concord has also recorded timely hitting throughout its five-game win streak. 

The Mountain Lions have batted 15-for-42 with runners in scoring position (.357) throughout the five-game stretch. 

Several timely hits include freshman infielder Kylie Kent's walk-off single in Concord's 4-3 comeback win against WVSU at home, Alycea Watson's game-winning single on the road against WVSU, and Alyssa Morris's three-run home run to give CU a commanding lead in a tight game against West Virginia State in Concord's 7-1 win in the second game on the road. 

Junior infielder Alayna Furr is second in the MEC in hits accumulated, as she has hit the ball successfully 41 times, and also is batting .410, which is good for fifth among MEC batters. 

Concord has outscored its opposition 25-9 over their five-game winning streak. 

Concord has also posted two shutouts during their run, with Beatty and Herndon each putting up zeros against the opposition. 

Since 2013, Concord has a collective 4-2 record against WLU, and a 3-3 record against WJU.

In Concord's last six games against West Liberty, six Concord players have accrued at least one multi-hit game: Morris (three), Furr (two), Watson (two), junior
outfielder Lauren Lewis (one), senior infielder Kristen Rose (one) and junior third baseman Courtney Purtell (one). 

Morris has hit a combined 8-for-21 (.380) against WLU in the last six meetings
 
Scouting West Liberty
Nicki Mihalik is fifth in the Mountain East Conference in doubles with 10, Taylor Paladino has three triples so far, good for a tie for second in the conference. 

While the Hilltoppers sit at 8-26 overall, they have gone 2-2 in their past two games. 

Kelsi Johnson and Nicki Mihalik are each hitting .341 on the season to lead WLU.

Scouting Wheeling Jesuit
WJU is led in pitching by Mallory Chapman with a 2.00 ERA, and a 9-5 record on the mound.  Kori Locke is close behind with an ERA of 2.30 and a 5-2 record. 

Wheeling Jesuit ranks fourth in ERA this season, posting a 2.65 ERA over 28 games this season. 

Molly Welsh leads the Cardinals in batting, hitting .377 on the year.