ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team split its final regular season doubleheader as it clinched a spot in next weekend's Mountain East Conference Tournament as CU won game one 12-2 before falling 11-7 in the night cap.
Heading into Sunday, the Mountain Lions needed to one of their final two games to secure a spot in the conference tournament as they took care of business.
Game 1: Concord 12 – UVa.-Wise 2
The Mountain Lions (23-25, 17-15 MEC) put game one away early as it scored nine runs in the third inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a commanding 10-2 lead.
In the third inning, Concord only had four hits but was patient at the plate drawing five walks and was hit by pitches twice with the bases loaded. Additionally, the Mountain Lions scored five of the nine runs with two outs after UVa.-Wise (20-30, 10-22 MEC) should been out of the inning, but a costly error early in the frame kept the CU rally going.
Sophomore outfielder
Andy Szamski and sophomore catcher
Paul Williams each added RBI hits in the sixth to extend Concord's lead to 12-2 which was the final margin of victory.
Sophomore pitcher
Reece Edwards was stellar on the mound as he scattered two runs on eight hits while striking out a career-high eight batters and not issuing a walk. Edwards improved to 3-3.
Redshirt freshman outfielder
Jordan Clark, sophomore infielder
Chad Frazier and Williams all had multi-hit games with Williams getting three base knocks and Clark and Frazier each notching two.
The same trio also had two RBI a piece with Clark adding three runs scored.
With a stolen base in the third inning, senior outfielder
Andrew Seigel tied the all-time record for steals at Concord with 87.
Game 2: UVa.-Wise 11 – Concord 7
The Cavaliers plated two runs in the sixth to break a 6-6 tie as they went on to win by four runs in the nightcap.
After UVa.-Wise's Ben Coffman hit a grand slam in the first inning, Concord scored five of the next six runs in the game to square things at 5-5 after three innings.
CU got a run back in the bottom of the first as redshirt freshman infielder
Trevor Wiersma drove in Seigel on a single to shallow center field.
The Mountain Lions plated four more in the third on RBI doubles from Clark and Szamski while senior infielder
Brad Sullivan added an RBI single of his own.
Both teams tacked on a run in fourth to even the game 6-6, but UVa.-Wise scored two in the sixth and two more in the seventh to open up a 10-6 edge as it took game two, 11-7.
Clark had two hits and two RBI in game two to lead the offense. Additionally with his four RBI Sunday, Clark hit the 50-RBI mark for the season.
Freshman pitcher
Noah Tucker (0-1) was charged with the loss as he gave up two earned runs in two innings. Fellow freshman pitcher
Troy Beckner tossed the first four innings giving up six runs.
Concord draws Shepherd in the first round of the MEC Tournament Thursday. Game time will be determined after SU's doubleheader with Fairmont State concludes Monday.
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